Our Timing Sucks
by Kireina-Ame
Summary: Ichigo and Rukia are trying to live a normal married life but they have this horrible luck to attract drama at inopportune times. Will the Kurosaki Clinic stay open? Will Rukia ever get to graduate? Will Soul Society be ready for what happens next?
1. Chapter 1

**WARNINGS:** This is rated T for now because it will contain adult language, mature themes, and be as realistic as possible. It _may_ in the future contain lemons but I promise to warn you about those beforehand.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own a thing. Not making a dime. But a girl can dream.

**Author's Notes:** Not much to say at this point except that I hope you thoroughly enjoy my take on what _could be_ Ichigo and Rukia's future. One idea of many, of course. And I chose a really funny sounding title to keep the story from seeming too sweet or sappy or annoyingly perfect. That would so not be them.

I also want to quickly interject that I really, really didn't want to be one of those to assume Ichigo would do what his dad did as far as career. _ I seriously didn't want to. I don't see him being a doctor at all. But I do, however, see him being über loyal to his family and their business… Anyway, please read, review, and respond to my questions at the end!

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><p><em><strong>Our Timing Sucks<strong>_

Rukia groaned and forced herself out of bed. Pushing the soft, pale blue comforter and expensive white sheet away from her body, she lost valuable heat and lightly cursed the alarm. After giving it an adequate hit with her fist to turn off the insufferable sound, she shuffled sleepily over to the adjoining bathroom to the master bedroom.

Ichigo had already gotten up and left a few hours before. His hours in school and his clinical training forced him into adapting his internal clock to that of a morning person (by force, not by choice). He went to bed before her and got up before her. The raven-haired woman growled at that as she ran the hot water for her shower. They barely saw each other now. Most of her classes were in the afternoon and then she would report to her clinical training around dinner time.

Her husband was already well into his time at the well-respected Karakura University. He would confess willingly that he didn't imagine going into medicine, especially because he couldn't imagine living long enough to care. He honestly saw himself already in Soul Society by the time he was in his mid-twenties. But here he was, twenty-four years old, married to a shinigami 'princess' who had loved him enough ("You mean gullible enough, idiot," she had said, love clearly laced in her words.) to stay in the _Living World_ and become, for all intents and purposes, a human. Oh her family had been none too pleased with her decision. Correction: her brother had been none too pleased. Everyone else's opinions be damned. But seeing her happy, smiling, and laughing without abandon, melted that frozen heart. Not that he had become a sap by any means but it did at least mean that her husband would not be under immediate threat of execution. As long as she stayed happy, that is.

But back to their life plans. Ichigo would finish his time in school to become a Physician's Assistant, specializing in traumatic injury, within a year and would take over an active role in his father's clinic while beginning his residency. He didn't want to go the route everyone expected him to go and become a medical doctor or specialize in an area of pediatrics. He may have been a nice guy, great older brother, and have a heart of gold but he couldn't foresee himself spending his entire career with sick or dying children that would turn him into a homicidal maniac. He knew that death wasn't the end, _god how he knew it_, but that didn't make watching young ones suffer any easier. It would have broken him for sure.

Besides, once his residency was over, he'd get great hours and be able to breath down his wife's neck more often. He had grinned when he told her his plans to bug her every second he could spare. She had pretended to be irritated and kicked his leg, bringing forth a curse and a glare from her over confident lover. But they both knew what she meant: "_Good._"

Her five-year life plan, on the other hand, kept getting interrupted and altered. She kept being called back to Soul Society for family or squad needs or called out to assist the undertrained shinigami looking after the city until she finally erupted in a fit of anger and told them to stop ruining her "happily ever after". She, along with Ichigo, would return to Soul Society as agreed after she had a fair shot at a human life with her husband. Living as a human, after all, was a short wait in relation to how long people lived in the afterlife. They could freakin' wait! And, of course, because she seems to have shitty luck, she had gotten her first human illness immediately following. She had to withdraw from that semester and recover from the flu before she could run around like a mad woman trying to catch up. Again. The only good part about that experience was just how wonderful her lover had been to her when she was ill.

So she had to keep altering her schooling to prevent her from falling too far behind Ichigo. He thought she was amusing as hell when she confessed to wanting to keep up with him. Not just for pride's sake, of course, but because she wanted to do things _with_ him. But so much for that because she was still working on her bachelor's degree while he was already in graduate school. She had originally planned to work side-by-side with him in the clinic, despite never having been interested in the 'medical arts' before. But it wasn't about her interests or hobbies. It was about being with him, sharing responsibilities, supporting him, being a part of his family, being a team. And it was frustrating to no end that she couldn't, well _shouldn't_, use her memory modifier to stay caught up in her classes because the medical profession had this annoying habit of actually needing the person to know what the hell they were doing. Her _kido_ could only do so much without raising suspicions…

"_Dammit!_" the woman pulled the nozzle away from her body as her skin took on a red-hue. The water had a horrible habit of heating up at odd intervals and burning her. She would be grateful when they could move into a house of their own rather than renting this apartment close to Ichigo's classes. There was a reason this place was so cheap. But she couldn't blame Ichigo for wanting to make it without assistance from her wealthy brother (despite his already generous contributions). She had actually been particularly surprised, impressed, _turned on_ when she found out that he had been saving to support himself in the future throughout high school and, along with the trust created by his mother when he was born, they would be able to make it by without juggling employment with education.

But with how often she had to withdraw from classes and start over or change her major to try and accommodate the time frame she gave herself to graduate, she felt like a burden on him rather than a partner. She most certainly didn't feel like she had the time (or patience) to consider going on to PA school like he did now that she was at least three to four years behind him. So she changed it again. She moved her plan from double majoring in Biology and Chemistry (which, she believed, to be the devil incarnate) to simply Biology. Then it became, much to her horror, Nursing. At first she didn't mind since it was still medical, useful to the Kurosaki Clinic, and she'd at least graduate with _one_ useful degree and not have to continue her education if life (or the dead) kept getting in the way. But then when Ichigo found out and practically ripped her clothes off – her new lab coat with the Nursing school's emblem and her baby pink colored scrubs – to have his way with his "sexy nurse", she found herself irritated. She didn't want to be lesser, an underling! She wanted to be equal!

But her sweet, orange-haired idiot made her feel better. He couldn't care less what she chose to major in, when she graduated, if she even worked… He just wanted her with him. Those sappy moments were so precious to her, despite not being able to handle the flattery or displays of affection well still. When she blushed and pushed him off, he knew. She, at least, no longer pummeled him for it.

And now here she was, getting dressed with little to no motivation, fatigue both mental and physical, wearing down on her, just telling her to _take the day off_. Now, Rukia never shrugged off her duties, gave up, or gave in. Well, mostly never. But today? Well, she could make an exception. Screw classes today. Screw her resident Nursing Practitioner who would berate her for not showing to clinicals this evening. She was tired like she couldn't ever remember being. No matter how many times she was cut, stabbed, or impaled on one thing or another, she kept going. But this damn human body, human world, was wearing her thin!

With only her underwear, bra, and scrub shirt on, she collapsed back onto the warm, queen-sized, Western-style bed, barely having the energy to pull covers over herself before she lost herself to sleep again. The world could wait while she enjoyed a little more sleep, after all.

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><p>It was just after lunch time when Ichigo had finished with his lectures and came home to a quiet apartment. He decided to take an extended lunch break and be able to drop by Rukia's class to surprise her if he could get something in his stomach quick enough to meet her. Nothing made him smile quite like catching his little soul reaper off-guard and seeing her eyes go wide and catching the gasp from her lips. Ichigo smirked to himself with just that thought.<p>

He shrugged off his light jacket, kicked off his shoes into the corner of the foyer, ran his hand through his hair once, and dropped his wallet and keys on the entryway table before taking long strides to the other side of the living area where the kitchen was located. That's when he spotted Rukia's set of keys on the kitchen table, her little white and pink Chappy the rabbit keychain hanging off the main ring.

_So she didn't leave today?_ he wondered. Part of him worried that she had fallen ill again but then the other part of him grinned from ear to ear to think that he'd be able to pounce on her that much more easily. Ignoring food for now, he lowered his _reiatsu_ and quietly stepped toward the bedroom.

It was easy to be quiet in socks on a carpeted floor, plus it didn't hurt to be Kurosaki Ichigo, _shinigami_ extraordinaire. He reached out a long arm and gently pushed the bedroom door open slowly before leaning his head in to search for his partner. His dark amber eyes found her fast asleep in the bed, her towel from her morning shower forgotten on the floor next to it.

Stepping into the dimly lit room, the curtains pulled tight over the single window to block out as much sun as possible, he neared the bed. Nearly his love's entire body was hidden beneath the sheets, the soft, still somewhat damp black hair poking out of the top and splayed over the pillow. It may have started off short years ago when she up and decided to cut it off after their nearly two year absence from each other (not that he minded the change because it made her look, well, _sexy_) but now that she was incredibly busy and insanely distracted by everything else in life, she barely remembered to even get it trimmed. It now hung down just below her shoulders and loved to cling to her cheeks. She'd curse at it for being in her way but she'd blush and smile when it gave Ichigo something to play with or grab onto.

Ichigo, on the other hand, occasionally let his grooming go out of laziness but never let it reach far onto his neck before it drove him crazy. He'd never cut so short that his bossy lady couldn't grab on to, of course, but having it itch the lower part of his neck was just not going to happen. Something else he could do without is the need to have to shave. Not that he was hairy like his old man or anything but remembering his high school days without needing the extra time in the morning to do so was nostalgic. And that chore was _necessary_ because Rukia's soft skin didn't agree with bristliness. And let's be honest, he'd shave his body or dye his hair if it meant he'd get to be close to that noble brat. He was just thankful he didn't have to resort to either one of those.

The orange-haired man began to rethink his plan of attack. She just seemed too peaceful to simply jump on her and he felt a twinge of guilt for even thinking it. But it was definitely too good an opportunity to not do _something_. So he compromised with himself and ever so silently slipped into the bed, under the covers, right behind the slumbering woman. Gingerly, he replaced the sheet and comforter on top of them both, snaking his left arm around the body of the woman next to him and pressing her close to his.

He began to massage the slim but firm hipbone of his 'prey', giving an appreciative hum against her hair that she was wearing nothing but underwear on her lower half. He then nuzzled her neck, leaving a trail of light, feathery kisses. While his ministrations were starting to get him in the mood, Rukia had yet to even budge. She normally only slept like the dead (no pun intended…) when something was wrong. Did she not sleep last night? Was she sick again? Was she just ignoring him?

Ichigo listened in closely to her breathing and scowled lightly. No, she was breathing steadily and serenely. She was definitely still asleep. His hand smoothed over her hip and onto her firm stomach, rubbing soothingly over the soft skin. It had only been a few years since she had donned a quality _gigai_ with the sole purpose of her soul bonding to it. She had become human, complete with the effects of aging. They could both still exit their bodies if I really needed to (which they haven't) but it was to be avoided if possible. Rukia had to sit in on a feature film length lecture from Urahara he called "Taking Care of Your Gigai: Becoming Human". She didn't even fully disclose to him what Hat-n-Clogs had discussed with her but he figured it was mostly useless, perverted information from the blush that had been on her fair cheeks.

But he did find himself appreciating his love's form more and more as time passed. Appreciating, loving, lusting, etc. Whatever you want to call it. She was always beautiful, of course, but now that her physical form wasn't caught in perpetual early teen years she was _stunning_. He had to beat other men off with sticks, visiting _shinigami_ friends included, and made sure to flash her rings around when necessary.

Her breasts were round and full, though still quite modest. She had always been self-conscious about that but he strove to convince her that he didn't require nor desire her to have a cartoonishly large chest. That would be ridiculous, intimidating, as well as a hassle. Then there were her hips and ass. Oh how he especially adored them! She was still quite slender but her curves jutted out just enough to be quite alluring, especially when she wore tight skirts or jeans. And, well, she was still a midget. In his adulthood he reached a splendid five feet eleven inches. His gorgeous _chibi_, however, had only gained a few inches and maxed out at four feet eleven inches. That's right, he still towered over her – by an entire foot, actually. As did most of the adult population. But he loved her adorable stature and how tote-able that made her. He especially loved how that last part really got on her nerves.

The best part of her being in the Living World with him was that she was not forced to desert Soul Society to do so. For the first time probably in her entire existence, they did right by her. Once Rukia and himself passed on, whether or natural death or not, they would return to their soul form and return to Soul Society and to the _Gotei_13 with memories intact. He could forgive them all wrongs they had done to her for that one wish granted and the burden it lifted from her heart. He knew she would have chosen him anyway but he didn't want her to be hurt, be it sooner or later.

"Rukia," he didn't bother to whisper since he was trying to wake her up but he did limit his volume to a low, gentle tone. "Come on, short stuff. Wake up." He placed a few more wayward kisses on her neck, below her ear, then on her cheek. When he finally roused a sleepy groan from the petite woman, he smirked and couldn't help himself. "I could just take the comforter away, you know."

"Do it and I'll maim you, Berry," came the noble's reply, muffled through her pillow and the comforter she had pulled over her face. But her annoyance echoed through nonetheless.

"Well, that's not very loving." Ichigo tried to make his words sound hurt but rather failed, his amusement evident.

There was a pause before her voice broke the silence, sounding a little more awake this time. "…Do it and I'll maim you, _husband_."

'Husband' chuckled a bit and nuzzled back into her, allowing himself to freely caress her exposed skin now that she was conscious. "Everything ok, _wife_? I didn't expect you to be home, much less half dressed. Not that I'm complaining, mind you."

She slapped his roaming hand away from her body, albeit with fatigue, and rolled over to face him. She peered up through one tired eye at his suggestive smirk, too proud to admit it made her weak in the knees but too sleepy to give him what he wants. She always did like his smiles, whatever the mood. He had a way of grinning with his whole face, that wide mouth portraying joy, lust, amusement, sarcasm, and contentment. And when you pair that with his sharp, piercing, honey-colored eyes, they could melt this Kuchiki's heart. Not that she'd say that kind of mushy stuff out loud. At least, not very often. Perhaps next year. Maybe.

"I don't think I slept well. Just really tired." Rukia kept her explanation brief as a yawn took over. She modestly held her hand up to her mouth to cover it, licking her lips after. Her lips were one of Ichigo's secret obsessions. Of course everyone swooned at her luxurious hair, her doe-like eyes, and her delicate hands. But that small, pouting mouth with her full lips were delectable. He especially loved how her top lip seemed just a bit plumper and gave her a sweet, innocent look. Well, when she wasn't cursing or injuring him, that is.

"How tired?" Ichigo lifted an eyebrow in subtle suggestion as to how they could be spending their lunch time.

"Too tired for that, you pervert." But she couldn't help the smile that graced her face. How could she really be that upset at her handsome idiot wanting her that much?

"That's too bad…" He kissed her forehead tenderly and started to slide out of the bed, chuckling when she groaned with displeasure at his leaving. "Want me to make you some lunch?"

"Pancakes?" the eager question came from under the covers.

"I said lunch, midget – Ow!" He rubbed his thigh on the spot where her leg shot out from the sheets to give him a swift kick. "Hey, I didn't get what I wanted so why should you?"

"Are you bribing me for sex with pancakes?" Her face finally freed itself completely from the comforter and simultaneously glared and inquired at the other person in the room in near abhorrence, though not very genuine.

"You make it sound like a bad thing – OW!" He rubbed his thigh again and stepped out of the room before pointing an accusatory finger at her. "Dammit, Rukia! That hurts! You almost hit a very sensitive spot."

Ah, their bickering. They both loved it. Their lovers' quarrels, their verbal foreplay. It was downright homey. She finally sat up in the bed, her hair tousled and unequivocally sexy, and smirked at him. "You mean I missed?"

He glowered and appeared to be readying himself to attack her. But after a thorough growl in her direction he sighed and straightened up, leaning against the doorframe, clearing his throat. "Yes, I guess you did. Your aim just isn't what it used to be." He grinned and caught the alarm clock she attempted to hurl at him, enjoying the fury on her beautiful face. "But the best part? I will definitely be getting what I want today while you most likely won't be getting yours." He chuckled and left for the kitchen, knowing when he was pushing the limits and when to make a quick exit.

As he placed the alarm clock on the kitchen table, he could hear her cursing him in the bedroom as she pulled herself out of bed. He hoped she knew that if she didn't put some clothes on her lower half before joining him, he'd be getting what he wanted sooner rather than later. _Too bad_, he thought as she entered the kitchen and snuck a glance over his shoulder. She did put on some of her jeans. But at least they were rather snug and ripped once on the left thigh and on the right knee, revealing glimpses of smooth, milky skin.

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><p>Damn her husband and his confidence, his arrogance, his cockiness! And double damn him for it all being well earned! Before she could gather her thoughts to attack his retreating form, she found herself appreciating the view. From his broad shoulders to his slim hips to his perfect rear end to his long, strong legs. All of his training, his fighting, and even nowadays as he stays in great shape by working out with her, his body was magnificent. It wasn't too bulky or unseemly and it wasn't lanky or un-sculpted. And that was <em>all<em> for her. Not that it would be a bad thing for him to 'win' this argument but she really didn't like to lose. Either way, letting him leave thinking he's gotten away with something was enough to irritate her.

But then, this was all foreplay to them. She fought a smile as she pulled on her ripped jeans. She knew how much he liked them and would at least tease him a bit since he probably _was_ going to get what he wanted later. She ran her fingers through her unruly hair in an attempt to tame it while she exited the bedroom in search of her man – er, the food.

"So, you're skipping classes today, I take it?" he asked her in amusement as he dumped some leftover curry in a hot pan and began to stir it with purpose, the sizzling and scent filling the small kitchen.

"Pretty much," she smiled, sliding onto the counter near, but not next to, the stove where Ichigo was cooking for them. She watched him push around the food by the wooden spoon with careful precision. She was hungrier than she originally thought. Leaning to the other side of herself she reached into a little jar on the counter that had some of her favorite snack crackers hidden inside and she slowly chewed on one while waiting for Ichigo to feed her.

"What's the occasion?" The food thoroughly heated through, he began to dish it out into two bowls he had already pulled out of the cupboard.

"Why does there need to be an occasion?" She was feigning innocence, of course, even having to turn her head away from him to hide her slight smile, her fingers returning to her scrub top, smoothing out the wrinkles from her impromptu nap and brushing off the small crumbs from her cracker.

"Because _you_ don't cut classes." He then smirked handsomely, pushing her knees apart and stepping in between her legs to nuzzle into her neck, his body pressed into hers, and added, "And I may want to join you."

"I bet you do," she tried to mumble sarcastically but it came out in a breathy hushed tone as she reacted to his affections on her skin. "But you need to go to work and be the bread winner so that you can buy me Chappy stuff." He growled at that and pushed further into her warm body, making sure she could feel as much of him as possible. "Hey, fool! Stop it and feed me!"

Ichigo gave her delicate skin one more nip before pulling away just enough to push a bowl of curry into her waiting hands. They ate in relative silence, Rukia still perched on the counter and Ichigo turned to the side to rest his hip on it between her legs.

"You know…" Rukia said softly between her last few bites. "I supposed I wouldn't complain if you were to play hooky with me just this once. It is Friday, after all."

"I knew you couldn't resist me," the orange-haired man smirked and set his empty bowl and chop-sticks to the side. "Oof!"

Rukia had pushed her empty bowl into his gut to cut off his arrogance and smirked as her arms crossed over her chest. "Actually, I was thinking it would be a good a time as any to go visit your family for dinner without giving up your 'precious weekend'." When her partner's face fell she rolled her eyes in exasperation. "For one, your father has been blowing up my phone about what a failure his son/my husband is for keeping me from visiting for the better part of a month. But I also got a message from Yuzu that Karin will even be arriving at some point today from Tokyo."

"Family guilt. Nice, Rukia. Nice." The sarcasm was heavy and she could tell that it was working. He sighed in defeat. He felt that they barely had time with each other, let alone enough time to drive clear across town to spare some of their free time with his crazy father. But that really wasn't fair to Yuzu now that he was forced to think about it. After his sisters graduated high school, Karin had high-tailed it out of Karakura as fast she could to a university in Tokyo. She earned herself a soccer scholarship and was studying journalism.

Yuzu was a student at Karakura Community near his childhood home, as she was nearly single-handedly supporting their father and his clinic while she worked on her own nursing degree. Ichigo had tried to convince her to leave home and go to one of the country's leading culinary schools but she felt too guilty to leave her father considering she knew Karin really didn't want to stay in town. Not that she wasn't good at her school work or enjoy caring for the sick or injured but her heart wasn't in it the same as when she was in the kitchen. Rukia was a big advocate for her transferring out and didn't want to see her 'little sister' give up a dream merely because she felt she'd be abandoning her family, which had Ichigo rolling his eyes of course.

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><p>"<em>Now don't you think that's just a <em>_**bit**__ hypocritical, Rukia? OW! Dammit! What was that for?" Ichigo held his gut from where his newly married wife punched him and glared at her forcefully under his brightly colored bangs._

"_For calling me a hypocrite!"_

"_Well, it's true! Do you remember what we went through – what __**I**__ went through – to get you to be with me all because of your stupid subservience to the Kuchiki clan? OW! Stop doing that!" Rukia was actually snickering at him!_

"_That was entirely different, idiot. Besides, you shouldn't be complaining about that at this point. You got what you wanted, right?" The dark-haired woman was completely caught off guard when her husband threw her over his shoulder and stomped to their room rather than snap a comeback at her. She was also surprised when he told her what he wanted. Well, it started as surprised and then made its way to amused and then excited. And then, quite some time later, exhausted._

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><p>"You already told them we'd be there, didn't you?" Ichigo groaned and rubbed his palm on his face.<p>

"Well, I didn't know for sure. You should be going to the hospital this evening, after all." Rukia grinned, leaning back on her arms on the counter, pushing her chest out. "But I did kinda guess that you'd want to follow me when you saw I wasn't going to classes."

"You are a sneaky bitch, you know that?" His glare could have started a fire if it were used on anyone other than his lover.

"And you love me," she shrugged and poked him in the forehead. She merely smirked at him but she was giddy on the inside. Not only did she never get tired of winning but she was actually excited about going back home for a visit.

_Home_.

It even sounded wonderful. Home to her extended family. And it didn't hurt that she'd get to see Ichigo get all riled up when his father jumped on him. Amusing and loving. A perfect family for a Kuchiki turned Kurosaki.

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><p>So now that I've gotten the first part completed (and so much more already planned in my head), I'm wondering what people think. Besides just reviewing to tell me what you thought of my style, set-up, characterization, etc. answer something for me (if you will). I know so many people are going to be missing all the fanservice of their relationship leading up to already being married. (I know because that's me too!) <strong>1.<strong> So would you rather I include flashbacks in this story? Or create a couple of one-shots to accompany it? Or eventually get to a separate chapter story that is meant to be a prequel to this one? How would you like your Ichiruki poison? ^_~

(I'm leaning toward creating a prequel… Though maybe I really should have created that first… Geez, I'm all backward. But you get to decide!)

**2.** Also, do people want me to pair Uryuu with Orihime? I'm undecided as of yet and I figure I'll go with the majority on this one…

Oh and since I know not everyone watches/reads the Japanese version of the story (or perhaps we're not all at the same spot of the story) here is a vocabulary list for you! I figured it'd be nice if someone did one, right? I'll include any terms or phrases used in that specific chapter.

_shinigami_ – literally "death god", translated as soul reaper in English. It's similar to how we'll use "grim reaper".

_kido_ – spirit (or demon) arts, essentially it's the 'magic' that allows for concentrated spiritual attacks or spells.

_reiatsu_ – spiritual pressure or energy (though there is an even more detailed description of the difference between the two, we won't go into it). This is the power source of kido and general shinigami abilities, as well as the dear oddballs of our main characters' friends like Chad, Uryu, and Orihime.

_gigai_ – the temporary physical body used in the Living World

_Gotei 13_ – The 13 Court Guard Squads (in the English dub)

_chibi_ – Meaning little, short, miniature. It's either meant as very cutesy or a way of calling someone short/small and being diminutive.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes:** So the first chapter was not very plot-ful (shut up, it's a word now) since I had to do so much back story and description. But I promise it'll pick up! Just bear with me cause I DO have a direction I'm going with everything! And I don't really have many reviews yet (so sad) but I understand that it'll help having more than one chapter. I also apologize at how short this chapter feels (to me, at least). I'm trying to get in plenty of dialogue since I know it interests more people than the description and narration does. But if you have requests/suggestions then I am all ears!

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><p><em><strong>Chapter 2<strong>_

The front door slammed behind them, bringing all conversation in the home to a halt. All sounds, save for the boiling pot on the stove and the sound of shoes being removed, ceased. All eyes in the kitchen turned to inspect the additions to their dinner party. A sandy-haired young woman with warm, gentle brown eyes smiled over to their guests, tapping the wooden spoon in her hand against the pot before putting it down, motioning to taking off her apron. The older man with untamed black hair, a little silver just beginning to shine at his temples, and an unshaven face hovering over the stove near her suddenly backed up and cast a huge grin toward the entry way. A young woman with soft black hair popped out of the dining chair she was straddling backward and jogged into the living room, grinning.

"Ichi-nii! Rukia-nee!"

Rukia was the first to get a bear hug from her little sister-in-law, unable to keep the grin off her face. "Karin! It's been too long!" It had been months since Karin could be convinced to take a break from school and her soccer team to come home to visit.

"I know," Karin replied sheepishly, brushing some of the long, straight hair that fell out of her high ponytail behind her ear. She turned her dark grey, nearly black, eyes to her older brother when one his hands was placed firmly on her head. She gripped herself to his chest tight, trying to tell herself she wasn't the little girl who worried about her _nii-san_ anymore. Ichigo gave her an affectionate squeeze and tugged on her hair. She managed to pull back and regain her senses enough to poke Ichigo in the chest with emphasis. "At least Rukia messages me on a regular basis though."

Now it was his turn to look sheepish. He rubbed the back of his neck as he gave one of his twin sisters a half smile. They both grew up so fast. Girls turned women. They were both now taller than Rukia, Karin roughly five foot five inches and Yuzu just behind her at five foot three inches. Karin had the mischievous face and the discerning eyes that Ichigo also inherited but became quite a looker. Good thing she knew how to protect herself and never let a guy get away with anything. Ichigo would have to go _bankai_ on some sorry boy's ass otherwise and Tokyo was quite a trek. Yuzu, on the other hand, will probably need his intervention sooner or later. She was downright docile compared to her twin and, with all the lighter-colored beauty that she inherited from their mother, she was quite the idol at Karakura Community.

"Sorry. Between school, work, and the midget – OW! Why am I constantly abused by the women in my life?" He grumbled in pain, torn between holding his gut and his head, one from each of the dark-haired beauties near him.

Karin couldn't stop her laughter, turning to motion to the whole family. "Sometimes I would wonder how I lived with you all for so long without going crazy but sometimes I really miss this."

Her twin came over to get a hug from the couple as well, their father following right along, oddly calm for him as he shoved his hands in his pockets and smiled at his children. "It's not the same without you, Karin. You really should visit more." Yuzu was practically glowing, finally having her whole family present to cook for. She brushed the ends of her wavy hair off her shoulder and then looked to their brother to add, "And you too, Ichi-nii. Even Rukia-nee makes it over more often than you."

Before her brother could provide something resembling an adequate excuse his father jumped in after letting his daughters get their greetings in first, grabbing both Rukia and Ichigo in a rib-crushing hug. "We'll forgive him if he's been making grandbabies, right girls?"

"Can't breathe…"

"_Put us down, old man!_"

"Right!"

"Oh god, Yuzu, you've been around him too long…"

* * *

><p>Dinner for the Kurosaki family was the usual for them. There was some bickering, some laughing, some sharing, some aggravation, and plenty of affection. Yuzu's meal of choice, grilled fish, miso soup, and curried rice and vegetables, was a major hit, which in turn earned her more poking and prodding to just transfer to a culinary arts program in Tokyo or Kyoto. But they were met with the same responses each time: Yuzu couldn't leave the clinic that needed her, couldn't leave her family, and that it just wasn't for her to take on the world like her siblings.<p>

Karin shared stories of her journalism professors and how well she was doing in her classes. She also proudly handed out her soccer team's play schedule, fully expecting her family to make it to at least one game during the season. Ichigo was relieved to report that he had less than a year to go for his schooling before he could begin his residency back in the clinic and that he and Rukia will be looking for a home soon. He had already insisted that their father and Yuzu stay in the home attached to the business and it go to her as inheritance whenever the old goat found himself in Soul Society again. Yuzu was ok with that plan if for the only reason that she was excited about house-hunting with Rukia for the next couple of months.

For himself, Isshin didn't speak much on the clinic and instead directed all of the wonderful news to the portrait of Masaki Kurosaki on the wall near the dining table. But, of course, when conspiring with the inanimate object the topic of conversation always leads back to the same thing with him.

"_Where_ are my grandbabies?" he turned on his son with a fist balled in passion.

"If you don't stop it, old man, I will take my wife and walk right out of here!" Ichigo didn't even deign it necessary to look up from his spot on the table, sipping at his tea. Honestly, he just wanted the geezer to drop it. They weren't even 100% sure if Rukia could bear children since she'd be the first female shinigami-turned-human for Urahara to 'test his theory' on. Thus she was put on birth control and began having regular periods, which, honestly, Ichigo could live without. Her restraining from intimacy for a whole week at a time because she hated the mess would leave him ornery by the end of it.

But more importantly, he didn't want her to get her hopes up on something they may never have. He had long ago accepted the fact that it may never happen and he was surprisingly ok with it. He had her and needed nothing else.

"I'm not getting any younger here and Masaki and I want grandbabies! Do you need me to give you 'the talk' on what you should do to-?" Isshin wiggled his eyebrows up and down suggestively.

"Dad…" Yuzu stepped in to try and halt the explosion that she felt was imminent. Everything was going so well up to that point.

"Ha ha! I'm glad you're the oldest, Ichi-nii!" Karin, of course, provided no assistance and just laughed at the growing scowl and tensed eyebrows on her older brother. Rukia just tried her best to ignore them, placing her fingertips to her temples and concentrating on the grain pattern on the table.

Ichigo's head whipped in Karin's direction and he pointed at her with a fully stretched out arm. "You're not even _allowed_ to think about babies, boys, or… or…"

"Sex?"

"_YES!_ Not until you're graduated, at least! Or thirty!" She loved the little tick mark and the twitch it gave her older brother whenever it was implied that his little sisters could be, well, _mature_, to put it lightly.

"Ichigo, stop being so overbearing." His raven-haired partner sighed and pulled him back down into his chair with a roll of her eyes.

"Don't you mean protective?" He practically twitched at her.

With a smirk on her face, "No, I actually mean controlling and hypocritical." She beamed back at him.

"Wha…? I am not!" he popped back out of his chair to gape at her, even his father chuckling at his discomfort.

"Ichigo, they're gorgeous, grown-up, 20 year old _women_." She raised an eyebrow at him for emphasis, as they were having sex together by that age. "I bet they have to beat suitors off on a daily basis. And you know what? Good for them!"

"I'll _kill_ any-!" Were his eyes starting to darken?

"Oh stop, Ichi-nii. I don't plan on getting serious anytime soon with my soccer career taking off. I didn't put this much work into it to give it up so easily." With a roll of her eyes and a gulp of the last of her tea, she walked her empty cup into the kitchen.

"What about you, Yuzu? Any hunky Romeo type vying for your affections?" His wife was just baiting him at this point and she loved every second of it.

"My lovely daughter gets love notes on a weekly basis! I just can't seem to get her to leave work long enough for even a single date!" Isshin practically sobbed, running back over to the portrait on the wall. "Masaki, my love, why won't any of our children give us grandbabies?"

"You're _trying_ to make her date? What the hell is _wrong_ with you?"Ichigo grabbed his father by the collar of his colorful shirt.

"Would you rather go back to talking about you and Rukia-chan giving me grandbabies?" The older Kurosaki gave his son a sly, easy grin, not fazed at all by the tension in the hand grabbing his shirt.

"…" The orange-haired man was thrown a bit off balance by that but sighed and released his hold, "No… But I don't think Yuzu-"

Unfortunately, Isshin took his daughter's name coming out of his son's mouth as a sign that he has not admitted defeat and effortlessly switched his target. "First we need to take Rukia-chan off birth control-!"

"_OK! I GOT IT!_ Yuzu can date!" Ichigo was practically billowing smoke in the home in frustration. He audibly growled and stomped back over to stand behind Rukia. "… But I'll still kill any man that touches her…" he added in a grumble.

If Rukia had taken Isshin's psychotic obsession a bit more seriously, she wouldn't even consider trusting him as the doctor that wrote and filled her prescription for birth control. She would have suspected him long ago of sabotaging her pills. But instead she rolled her eyes and went to sit next to Karin, prepared to distract the attention elsewhere, for both Ichigo's and Yuzu's sakes. "So tell me all about your new title, Karin! I heard from Yuzu you got some kind of promotion on the team?"

"New title?" Ichigo was immediately brought back, having gone from near homicidal about at the thought of his sisters keeping _that_ kind of intimate company to being a curious and proud older brother.

"Karin is now co-captain of the soccer team! And she's only a sophomore! She could be captain by next year!" Yuzu's beaming joy and excitement and Isshin's puffed out chest were enough to bring a little shy modesty to the darker twin.

"Karin is a _fukutaicho_?" And there was Rukia joining the team of proud, ecstatic Kurosakis. Her violet eyes widened and sparkled, holding onto said woman's upper arm.

"_Ano_… Not really the same thing, Rukia-nee…" Karin fidgeted in her seat with her hand gripping the back of her neck nervously. Not that she wasn't honored herself but she didn't want them thinking it was more than it was, especially considering what being a lieutenant meant to someone like Rukia. She wanted them to set the bar only just high enough for her to reach and impress everyone.

"Don't be so modest!" Isshin placed both of his hands on her shoulders, his chest still comically puffed out. "You are second in command and an exalted leader to your teammates! You are a true Kurosaki!"

"That's wonderful, Karin!" Ichigo leaned over and ruffled her hair, more of her hair escaping her ponytail and tousling it enough to appear like she just crawled out of bed. Karin growled and reached up to fix it but smiled up at everyone.

And so the conversation fell into a more comfortable tone. It helped the rest of the family to occasionally ignore their father, however. Rukia was at the table with Karin, going over the soccer schedule to see what weekend and city were the most convenient for her and Ichigo to plan to visit and watch one of her games. Isshin had gotten excited enough to go on a hunt for his video camera so that whenever someone went to visit they'd be able to bring back a recorded memento.

Ichigo was comfortably relaxing in the living room reading the local newspaper. It was so easy to fall back into an easy feeling in his childhood home, his sisters and best friend/lover creating a warm lull of sound in the kitchen, and his father's antics distracting them all from worries or concerns about 'the real world' for a while. This was how it should always be. And when his mind wondered back to how it all started and his initial battle with Soul Society to save Rukia from her execution… and then to the fight with Soul Society _and_ Rukia herself to keep her with him, he smiled. She had been so stubborn, so sure that it was impossible, so ready to sacrifice her happiness again for what she _thought_ was the best for him. He'd do it all over again. He even found himself wondering if he's done this all before, in another life.

But before his sentimental thoughts could take him any deeper, a sandy blonde head poked itself over his paper. His sister's eyes were wide and concerned, her mouth turned ever-so-slightly downward.

"Hey, Yuzu. Is something wrong?"

"I know Dad didn't want me mentioning anything… or making you worry…" She fidgeted in place, glancing over to the stairway where their father was still hunting down the video camera and whatever else he was distracted by.

Ichigo nodded his head toward the front door for them to be able to talk without interruption. Placing his paper down on the coffee table, he followed her out, giving a nod to his wife when she looked over to make sure everything was all right. He grabbed both his jacket and one of hers from the closet. It may not be the dead of winter any more but the late March air was still cool in the evenings. He draped Yuzu's purple pea coat over her shoulders before shrugging into his light brown leather jacket.

"I wanted to let you know about the clinic…" Yuzu pulled her arms into the coat and immediately began fidgeting with the buttons on it.

"I know Rukia said things have been strained here lately. But I'll be graduating in no time and be able to come help out." Ichigo shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans and leaned against the wall next to the door, watching his sister's nervous ticks with concern. It was something rarely discussed out loud but the Kurosaki clinic was not in business the way it used to be. They were under-staffed and losing funding, which in turn meant losing patients. Everyone in the town seemed to be turning away from community-based clinics and towards larger, conglomerate-type businesses like Ishida's hospital. And it was difficult to compete with that kind of money, size, and advertising.

"It's not just that, Ichi-nii. I don't know how we'll be able to pull through another year." Yuzu's chocolate eyes glanced over at the locked up clinic attached to their home. "It's everything. We're running out of supplies, our equipment is old, patients are not coming in, and… and even Ono-san has left."

Ichigo blinked a few times and pushed off the wall. Ono Kasumi was the clinic's receptionist and had been working there since Ichigo had started high school. She was a well-organized and soft-spoken older woman who had loved the family atmosphere in the clinic. She provided lollipops to the children and soothed the worries of the anxious adults. She was on time every morning and never complained if she had to stay after to help close up. She was a staple to the clinic and now she was gone too?

"What? Why?" He couldn't stop the question from coming out of his mouth.

"She mentioned something about her grandchildren…" His sister stopped playing with the buttons on her front and crossed her arms under her breasts, hugging herself. "But I think it was hard on her not being able to receive the same pay as she used to." Yuzu took a deep breath and turned her body fully towards her brother. "Ichi-nii, no one has taken her position yet. I've been doing my best to work for the clinic while going to school but it's going to be impossible once my clinicals are rotated and I'm working during the day."

Nodding his head once, he glanced down at his feet. He knew things were becoming tough on his family but he hadn't been told just how bad it had become. A solution wasn't quick to come to his mind but he glanced up at the worried face of his little sister and creased his brows together in determination. "Don't worry, Yuzu. We'll find a way. Thanks for telling me."

* * *

><p>The train rumbled lightly around them as the shinigami substitute and shinigami noble rode back to their apartment. Rukia had dozed off on his shoulder soon after boarding. He was pretty sure she was overworking herself with classes, clinicals, and making regular trips by train to help his sister at the clinic. The problem was trying to figure out where to cut her schedule to give her a break. She wanted to graduate so badly from <em>something<em>. She never got the chance to even attempt at completing the Shinigami Academy the honorable way since she was adopted into the Kuchiki clan. She didn't get to graduate high school with him, though he did try to coax her into it. She didn't feel she had the right to walk the stage with everyone who had worked so hard for three years* when she didn't even complete a full year consecutively.

And now all of this bad luck and horrible timing with her getting sick that first time with the flu and now the clinic… Everything kept putting it off for her and he couldn't stand it. She had to have some of the worst luck he's ever experienced. And yet, she never let it really get to her. She was ok with getting the short end of the stick as long as her teammates, friends, and family were ok. Hell, she was even letting her own heart break thinking she'd leave Ichigo to live his life without her in the Living World while she went back to the Soul Society. She had actually convinced herself that it was one-sided and that the best possible thing for him was to simply disappear.

And he had one hell of a time proving her wrong. True, it definitely embarrassed her to practically have the entire Gotei 13 witness to him forcibly courting her. He grinned at the memory. He was never one for public displays of affection or confessions but seeing her stutter and blush and winning her heart in front of her comrades, her superiors, and her _brother_ just made him an arrogant and positively elated man.

But he'd be damned now if she wasn't to get everything her heart desired.

His arm wrapped around her small form as she slept on his shoulder, her head having moved down to rest against his clavicle, he gave her a gentle squeeze. "Rukia, hey. Our stop is next. C'mon, wake up, midget."

She grumbled lightly at him, trying to sound annoyed through her exhaustion. Even she couldn't figure out why she was just so damned tired. She skipped classes today, slept in an extra hour and a half before Ichigo woke her up, and did mostly nothing all day – household chores and family time notwithstanding. She had gone much longer without rest or sleep before, especially in her duties as a shinigami. Was it her human body perhaps? Age? She'd blame it all on Urahara because, after all, she was not _that_ soft.

"Don't make me carry you, you _chibi_." He jibed with a light tug on her hair.

She pursued her lips and gave him a very tired kick to his shin from her sleeping position, her legs crossed and pressed against the side of his. "If I'm such a _chibi_ then you should have no problem doing just that." She couldn't help herself from grinning a bit. "Or is the great and powerful shinigami substitute just not what he used to be?"

He growled in her ear and squeezed her again. "If you want me to carry you then just say so. But don't bait me or you'll regret it as soon as I close our bedroom door, woman."

She let out a light laughed, moving further into his warmth. "Everything has to go back to that with you, doesn't it?" She didn't wait for a response before she felt herself start to drift back to sleep. She never felt the train stop nor heard the speaker announce the stop. But she was certainly aware when a cold, night breeze hit her face. She blinked a few times and felt her surroundings slowly through a hazy fog of exhaustion. She was being carried gently, pressed against the warm chest of her husband, ever her protector (even when she insisted against it). She could smell him through the leather of his jacket and smiled. She could feel his strong but gentle grip under her shoulders and her knees.

They were making their way down the quiet sidewalk and nearing the entryway to their apartment building, the light from the lobby illuminating the path in front of the windows. Ichigo must have felt her stir in his arms as he softly spoke down to her in a teasing, but affectionate, tone.

"I suppose I'll let you off the hook tonight. Though I wonder if it's your payback for the comment today about the pancakes." He smirked down at her and she could almost feel it on the top of her head. Tilting her head back just enough to smile up at him.

"Karma," she whispered back with a smirk of her own.

He stepped into the stairwell, not bothering with the elevator that half the time would get stuck between floors. They were only on the third floor anyway. He slowly made his way up the steps, careful not to bounce her around too much.

"How about if I let you sleep in tomorrow?" He fumbled around in his pocket for the keys, balancing her on his arm as best he could so he wouldn't have to put her down.

She hummed appreciatively into his chest. "That would be very nice." Feeling them step over the threshold into their apartment, the soothing warm hit her face, easing the chill. She had thought that she would be put on her feet immediately but instead felt him crouch down to set her rear on his bent knee, still cradling her shoulders. He slipped her shoes off her feet at the foyer but didn't bother with her coat. He picked her back up and strode into the bedroom.

"Hm, buttering me up for something, Ichigo?" She tried not to yawn behind the question.

"Maybe," he lied. She could tell. "I know you've been worn out lately." He placed her on the bed gently and unbuttoned her coat, coaxing her arms out of it. "I'm just hoping all you need is a good night's rest and that you're not getting sick again."

"Ugh," she turned her head into the soft, inviting pillow, remembering how god awful it had been to throw up every couple of hours and how incredibly weak her body had been. "Don't jinx me."

He chuckled as he pulled the coat out from under her then stripped her feet of her socks. Throwing them into a small basket in the corner of the room, he turned to go get her some sleepwear to change into. But upon returning to her side, he found that she had already fallen back to sleep. He placed the night shirt on the night stand next to her and went to wiggle the covers out from under her to tuck her in properly.

Barely caring to get ready for bed himself, he merely stripped his shirt and pants and crawled under the covers next to her in his boxers. Sliding one arm around her slim frame to hold her close, he leaned up on his other to look down at her slumbering face. Ichigo brushed some of her dark hair that tickled against his face and smiled. "You better not get sick just to spite me, midget."

* * *

><p><em>Nii-san<em> – (onii-san, nii-sama, nii-chan, ani, etc) These are all ways of saying 'older brother'. In Japanese, there is no way of saying 'brother' without indicating whether he's older or younger. And depending on the honorific added at the end is how formal or respectful it is. Karin and Yuzu almost strictly refer to their older brother as "Ichi-Nii" in the series, which is downright adorable.

_Nee-san_ – (onee-san, nee-sama, nee-chan, ane, etc.) Anyone who has watched the series in Japanese should recognize this as what Kon refers to Rukia as. It's also a common way to refer to a slightly older woman (whether out of respect or being flirty) but it's the indication of being an older sister.

_Bankai_ – The second release of a shinigami's _zanpakuto_. Mastering it is required to be a captain (_taicho_) in the Gotei 13.

_Fukutaicho_ – Vice-captain or lieutenant. The second in command after the captain of a squad in the Gotei 13.

_Ano_ – The Japanese equivalent of the western "um…" or "uh…" Another common version of this is "eto…".

Also important to note is that when I list someone's full name, I plan on trying to keep it to authentic Japanese style and putting the family name first. Also, you won't find me using "Mr./ Mrs./ Ms./ Miss" because, well, they're ALL the same suffix in Japanese (_san_). I may not stay authentic on everything but I'm going to try my best!

*ONE more note, seriously. Just wanted to add in that high school for the Japanese is just three years. It's similar to how American schools used to be organized: elementary/grade school used to go up to 6th, junior high, then high school being 10th through 12th.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3**_

Ichigo awoke the next morning earlier than he expected. The sun was only just starting to peek through the blinds, barely casting any rays onto the bed. No alarm had gone of yet, that he was sure of. But, glancing over at the clock and focusing on the red LED numbers, he was groaned at the realization that it was only 7am and here he was wasting a weekend morning rising early. What in the world had roused him?

Reaching out his left arm, he found the other side of the bed empty, any warmth from another body already faded. He only had a moment to rub the sleep from his eyes and wonder where his mate went when he heard an awful noise from the bathroom. Well, that answers his unspoken question.

"Rukia?" He quickly shoved the comforter away and bolted to the bathroom, worry sat like a stone in his stomach. The sound of his death god retching was enough to make him panic with anxiety.

"Ugh," she groaned, kneeling in front of the porcelain throne, her head resting on her arm and the other on her stomach. She didn't bother to turn her head toward the concerned voice at the doorway but whimpered anyway. "I hate you. It's your fault for jinxing me. I _hate_ being sick."

Ichigo rushed into the small bathroom and grabbed a wash cloth from the small shelving in the corner. Wetting it in the sink until it was thoroughly dampened and chilled, he kneeled down behind his wife and placed it on her forehead, pulling her hair back from her face tenderly with his other hand. Her upper body trembled from her vomiting and he could feel the exhaustion in her muscles on her back.

"Are you ready to get back in bed or do you need to stay here a while?" Rubbing soothing, gentle circles on her back he eased the tension out of her.

"Bed," was her weak reply, having not even twitched a muscle to make it out of the bathroom herself. He nodded and carelessly tossed the cloth back into the sink for use later, which he hoped wouldn't actually be necessary. Gathering her up in his arms and holding her securely to him, he raised up to take her back into their bedroom.

"If you feel up to it, I could take you to the clinic near the school. It's close and they could get you some medication." After pulling the covers over half her body, he quickly pulled the miniature trashcan from the bathroom into the room and right next to her side of the bed. If this was going to be anything like the time she had the flu, he would need to change it on a regular basis.

But she just shook her head and gave him a small smile, setting into the warm sheets and soft pillow. "I just want to sleep for now. If I'm not well tomorrow, I'll go. I promise."

"Alright." He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, lingering there to feel for any sign of a fever. There was none. "I'm going to go grab some food from your favorite shop. Think you can handle some soup?" He left her side to go dig some clothes out of their closet, pulling on some jeans and a long-sleeve shirt.

"Mushroom?" she asked with hopeful eyes.

"Of course."

* * *

><p>She patiently waited until she could hear him lock the door behind him and then counted to twenty. If he was going to turn around because he forgot something or if he was going to change his mind about going, it was going to happen immediately. And when he didn't reappear in their apartment, she bolted back out of bed, despite her temptation to just fall back asleep.<p>

Walking back into the bathroom she had just gotten sick in, she dug around in the cabinet under the sink, muttering to herself over and over, "_Where is it?_"

Rukia found it quite odd that she had been vomiting less than 20 minutes ago but now she felt fine. In fact, she completely normal, albeit a little tired from waking too early for her liking. This certainly wasn't acting like her time having the flu. She had been sweating, shivering, couldn't hold anything down, and was sensitive to all of her senses. But right now she felt as if it must have been some other woman in her bathroom that morning puking in her toilet because it definitely didn't feel like it was her.

Finally locating what she was looking for, she pulled out a pink box that had been taped closed from being previously torn open. "Pregnancy Test – 3 Pack" was written along the side that had managed to stay intact after she near demolished it when she first bought it. It was back when she was getting used to her gigai-turned-body and had fallen ill that she purchased it. She had mistaken being sick for possibly being pregnant, not having had the experience or knowledge yet to tell the difference.

Of course, she now had experience being sick, which she could now tell she wasn't. And she also now had plenty of knowledge from her array of science and medical classes to determine that it was now a distinct possibility that she was carrying a child.

_A baby. Her baby. Ichigo's baby._

"Oh god, am I _wanting_ it to be positive? It would be dreadful timing… And terrifying…" She pulled one of the remaining two sticks out of the box and glared at it. "No. No sense in thinking about it until I take the damn test. I can do this."

She shoved the box back into its hidden corner of the cabinet, making sure to push other items on top and in front of it. She wasn't sure why she felt it necessary to hide this from him or to take the test without him knowing… But she told herself that she didn't want to stress him out or raise his hopes. After all, if she had gotten him worked up about it the first time only to discover she was ill instead it would have made her feel horrible.

Grabbing the stick in one hand, she pulled herself up from her crouching position and took a deep breath and repeated to herself, "I can do this."

* * *

><p>Ichigo locked the door behind him and pulled his jacket around him tighter. He'd be a liar if he were to say he wasn't disappointed that other half was ill. He had been hoping and anticipating a slow, easy weekend with her. Maybe a little morning lovin', followed by a jog around the park once it warmed up a bit, and maybe a movie in the afternoon and his day would have been pure delight.<p>

Of course, that made him feel a bit guilty for his purely selfish concerns rather than being worried about the woman he had literally found on the bathroom floor. God, he just hoped it wasn't the flu again. How much worse could her luck get, really?

Leisurely, but with focus, he made his way down the street to the nearby soba shop. It became an immediate staple for the pair when he realized that she had better luck keeping down their simple, but healthy meals when she was sick more than anything else.

Entering the warm air of the quaint restaurant, the male took a deep breath of fish and egg flavored air and smiled. "_Ohayou_, Watanabe-san."

An elder man with crow's feet from decades of grinning and dark grey, short cropped hair chortled behind the counter. The kitchen behind him was spilling steam over his head and into the lobby through the large order window. "Ah, Kurosaki-san! What a fine morning to see you! But where is your lovely-eyed lady?"

Letting out a small chuckle, the orange-haired man couldn't help being amused that even when Rukia wasn't accompanying him, the old man was still flirting and flattering her. If it wasn't for the fact that this man was completely harmless, well-intentioned, and devoted to his _own_ wife, Ichigo would have been fairly possessive. But as it was, it was fair more entertaining to watch Rukia react to him every time. Sometimes it was with a blush, other times she rolled her eyes and graced him with a snippy remark, and the best ones were when she stuttered. One of these days she was going to understand that she was beautiful and it wasn't merely just some visual impairment that only Ichigo suffered from and, damn it, he'll take all the help from this kind, old man he was going to get.

"Unfortunately, not feeling well again." Ichigo unbuttoned the top of his jacket in an attempt to keep from overheating in the building. "And she'll take her usual. I'll have the spicy soba."

"That's quite a shame!" the restaurant owner frowned a bit before leaning over his shoulder to shoo one of younger chefs toward the back to prepare the ordered dishes. But when he turned back around, he wore a suggestive smile and wiggles his bushy eyebrows. "Perhaps she is with child? It _is_ nearly spring and the time for love and offspring."

How was it that this man could basically say the same thing as his father without it sounding near as crazy? Ichigo's face warmed a bit at the offered theory but he found himself taken aback by the actual possibility. But, then, she was on birth control so the chances were slim. And slimmer still considering they hadn't a clue if she could carry one.

"I highly doubt it," he said in a low voice, unable to shake the thought still. "It's not really a possibility right now."

"Ah, quite a shame. You wish her well for me then, ne?" The greying man still looked unconvinced but his smile was easy as he got out the plastic and foil containers to package the prepared meal for one of his best customers.

"I'll pass it on. Hopefully she'll be well soon and we'll be back together to try whatever new house special you come up with for the season." Pulling out his wallet for his bills, he was glad to change the subject, finding the topic of a baby causing his stomach to do flips. They had already discussed with each other that they wouldn't even attempt at having children until they had both graduated and neither was yet convinced they were going to be ready even then. But then why did he feel almost excited? He wondered if the thought crossed her mind. She probably wouldn't even realize she was pregnant, whenever it happened, until her stomach was round with a noticeable baby bump.

That thought conjured up a humorous image that somehow made his heart swell. What the hell was wrong with him? He was becoming quite an emotional wreck even just thinking about the possibility of his shinigami princess being pregnant…

Thanking the man as he grabbed the paper bag with the food containers safely tucked inside, he redid his top buttons to step out into the breeze once again. No, it definitely couldn't be a pregnancy. He was no math prodigy but her probability had to be well below one-percent. It had to be something else.

Soon his mind wondered back to the conversation he had with Yuzu the evening before. Things at the clinic were much worse off than he originally suspected. And considering every time his wife took the train over there when her classes got out early or he was busy filling in another shift on the weekend, he now knew she was probably filling in for the missing receptionist. _Someone_ had to answer the phones, schedule appointments, file the insurance paperwork, organize the lab results, and place orders for more equipment. And that was only the tip of the iceberg that Ono-san had taken care of for the family clinic.

Perhaps that's why she was ill this morning. It wasn't unheard of for someone's nerves and exhaustion to push them into vomiting. After all, he was a medical student, and he would know. But what he never expected was that someone as steel-nerved as Rukia to suffer that. He also figured she'd pass out for pushing herself too hard and sleep for days to shake it off long before simply losing her stomach for merely overworking.

* * *

><p>Her legs crossed at the knees and a lone bare foot on the tiled floor bouncing, she sat rather impatiently on the edge of the bathtub, counting to herself to estimate just how long 15 minutes were supposed to be. More than anything she hoped that it'd be up before Ichigo returned with her food. Biting her lip, she stood up, eyeing the test sitting so <em>annoyingly<em>,_ innocently _sitting on the sink just feet away. She couldn't see the little screen from her current angle and she glared at it more, as if this whole situation were its fault.

"It's been long enough, right?" She asked herself, not having moved a single muscle to get closer. "It should have an answer for me by now… Right?"

Taking a very nervous, hesitant step toward the sink she felt her stomach quiver in apprehension. She had appeared before the head captain, _soutaichou_ Yamamoto, plenty of times. She had even walked to her death on Soukyoku Hill with her own older brother ready to see her executed. She had also accepted her inevitable death at the hands of an enemy wearing a hauntingly familiar face. But nothing she had done before could rival the nerves she felt tangling into a messy ball of anxiety inside of her at that moment. And that it was all due to the notion of a little, tiny human growing inside of her like a parasite or alien was almost laughable to her. Almost.

But slowly making her way over to the sink to glance down at the blank screen on the 'pee stick' sitting on her counter had her frowning instead, the butterflies fluttering inside of her forgotten that quickly and replaced with a mix of confusion and annoyance.

"Did… did I do it right?" She carefully reached out to pick up the test to inspect it closer. There was no positive reading there to stare back at her and she felt a sense of déjà vu. She let out a breath that she didn't even know she was holding and sighed at it.

"What the hell is wrong with me? Am I… disappointed?" Shaking her ebony locks about her head, she growled at herself and put a palm to her forehead, pushing it up into her hair. "I don't _want_ to be pregnant! It would be an inconvenience! Ichigo doesn't graduate for another year, I'm only halfway through my own studies, the clinic needs us even more now… It must be the _stupid_ hormones in this _stupid_ body from _stupid_ Urahara! Ugh!"

She angrily threw the test down onto the tile floor, hoping to see it shatter into a million pieces to relieve her building frustration, which she tried to convince herself was about the negative result meaning she was sick again since she wasn't pregnant. She told herself that it was just about being ill and not at all about some sense of disappointment. But instead the test just bounced with a high-pitched plastic tap on the floor, as if it were mocking her.

"Stupid-!" she had started to yell at it when she heard the front door unlock.

"Rukia?" Ichigo's sweet concern called to her from the front room and panic set in. She grabbed the test off the floor in a move that would have rivaled flash step. She twisted and turned in the bathroom, trying to figure out what to do with it. She couldn't flush it and it would be disgusting to hide it in the cabinet.

"I-in the bathroom!" She nervously called back to her lover, hoping he wouldn't get too curious if she was able to sound like she was fine. She spun around again, contemplating shoving it under the loose base board against the wall at the corner of the door frame. And then nixing her own idea for it being disgusting (and obvious) as well.

"Everything ok?" Thankfully she heard his voice in the kitchen, most likely putting away their food first. But she knew that would not last long.

"Y-yes, I'm fine! I'll be right out!" She even tried shoving it in her pocket, since she had fallen asleep in her jeans the night before. "Damn girly pockets aren't worth shit," she muttered quietly to herself, seeing the stupid test sticking comically out of the very shallow side pocket.

"Are you sure?" Ichigo asked, right outside the door now. "Midget, if you're getting sick again, you don't have to close the door. It's not like you need to try to keep up some illusion that you're this perfect, Barbie doll or some stupid shit like that."

She audibly growled at that and couldn't help herself. "I'm doing no such thing, you jackass!" She heard him scoff at her through the door and finally decided on her plan of action and grinned wickedly to herself. It'd be like hitting a couple of birds with one rock, or however the stupid humans put that phrase.

* * *

><p>After tapping his foot a few more seconds outside the <em>still<em> closed bathroom door, he raised his hand to grab the knob and storm his way in. With a growl he warned, "Rukia-!"

Said woman calmly pulled the door open, causing her male to lose his footing temporarily as he shifted his weight to keep from falling and letting go of the handle. As he was straightening up to snap at her for being in there so long she chirped at him, tossing something wrapped in toilet paper at him, "Here ya go!"

"What's this?" Out of instinct he caught it in both hands and stared down at what he figured was merely a wade of clean toilet paper, god knows why.

"A tampon-," she began with a shrug and a glance away from him, both of her hands innocently clasped behind her back.

"WHA-? _Dammit_, _midget_!" And he immediately chucked it with force into the trashcan that he had lovingly put to the side of the bed for her the previous evening. He then stood with his hands splayed out in front of him, like they were dipped in sewage and he couldn't stand to have them near his body.

"What? I thought I didn't need to put up any illusions for you?" She just couldn't herself from the giddy laughter that bubbled up inside her chest, not only at how amazingly childish he was being but for having completely won the battle he didn't even know he was having with her.

"You _don't_ but… That's just _gross_, Rukia! You don't just throw that shit around at people!" He was trying desperately to act like he didn't want to go wash his hands at that very moment, despite not detecting anything on them or even having seen anything on the toilet paper. Was she just messing with him? Either way, he was twitching with irritation. And she was loving this.

"So I'm gross now? I'll have you know that _that_ thing has been _exactly_ the same place _you_ have. So if I'm so gross then maybe you won't be invited back!" Well, that certainly got his attention, judging from the expression of shock and injury that comment just gave him. She smirked victoriously and crossed her arms under her bust as she triumphantly walked past him and made for the food he just brought in.

"H-hey!" He followed after her with a scowl, the skin on his face burning just slightly from her implication, his disgust with his hands now gone and shoved into his pockets.

_Everything is now back to normal. Thank god._

* * *

><p>They spent their late morning breakfast in a comfortable companionship. Occasionally sharing small talk about what they could do with their day, how good the mushrooms were, how strange the flirty old man was to Rukia, how long they had to go until their semester was over, and when they'd have to start a new one again. Ichigo couldn't help himself as he studied her body while slurping down the cold, spicy buckwheat noodles.<p>

She unquestionably didn't _look_ like she was pregnant. But then, he was pretty sure she wasn't on her period yesterday but now suddenly she was? But if she was throwing a tampon away when he couldn't recall a chance she could have had to put one in while he was around, maybe she had only thought she was and threw it out after there was no use for it? That would explain the lack of anything on the paper. And she was certainly eating with a healthy appetite, drinking her soup directly from the bowl as she used her chopsticks to hunt down the chunks of mushroom. Was she not feeling ill anymore? Exhaustion was becoming a more likely candidate for the cause of her morning visit to the bathroom. He knew he was probably overthinking the whole thing. As long as she wasn't getting the flu again, Ichigo silently prayed, he was ok with whatever it was.

"So are you feeling better?" Light brown eyes scanned her pale face with concern.

"Actually, I am." Nodding and setting aside her empty soup bowl with a satisfied smack of her lips. "Maybe I was just overtired or something yesterday."

"Maybe you were just being lazy and wanted me to get you food while you slept in." Her husband really deserved the kick in the shin he got under the table for that one. He really did.

Rukia straightened herself out of the wooden chair and stretched high as she could, her slightly over-sized scrub shirt hanging off her shoulder on her way down. She was awake, fed, and didn't have a damn thing she had to do today. It felt wonderful. Not to mention not having the flu or some being feeding off her insides was a weight lifted off her shoulders. "I think I'm going to go shower," she said offhandedly, slowly making her way past her male.

She felt his eyes on her the whole way. _Good._ She stepped into their bedroom and lifted her shirt over her head, making no attempt to close their door or to step out of view. Keeping her back to her lover, she slowly pulled her hair over her shoulder, revealing even more of her milky neck and back, so she could reach her fingers around, delicately unhooking the pale peach-colored bra she had fallen asleep in. She took her sweet time sliding the straps from her shoulders.

She had never felt sexual or desirable in her life until him. She never learned the art of flirting or innuendo. But the passion she felt with him, for him, _from_ him, she realized that's it's not so much a learned practice as it was instinct. It was this instinct, a want he planted deep inside her, that her roll her back just so, the small of it curving delicious to accentuate the slimness of her waist, the gentle protrusion of her rear. It was the way her fingertips would feather against the lace of her bra, ever so delicately, before dropping it without a sound to the floor. Then she turned just her head over the shoulder, which most of her sleep tousled black locks were pulled onto, to glance with her deep indigo eyes toward the very attentive man sitting at the table.

He was held captive by her. His own caramel eyes practically burning up her skin, touching everywhere his hands would soon find themselves. His mouth was dry and his skin prickled with anticipation. He could feel himself respond to her silent, subtle beckoning in their doorway. This was exactly how their Saturday was supposed to go.

Gripping the chair in a tight fist, Ichigo stood and very slowly made his way to Rukia. Knowing he was following, she made her way further into the bedroom, almost sending Ichigo on a chase after her. He clicked the door closed behind himself and grabbed her by her denim-covered hips before she could move further away from him.

Rukia was pulled against his chest, feeling his muscles tighten beneath his t-shirt and his heartbeat quicken against her bare back pressed against him. The muscles in her stomach clenched as his calloused hands massaged their way from her hips over to her flat stomach. It only took a simple touch from her lover and she felt like she was on fire. She leaned her head back over her shoulder, searching for his mouth.

Noticing her soft lips turned toward him, he gladly gave her what she was looking for and slanted his mouth over hers. Caressing her lips with his own, he tasted her flavor underneath the slight bit of mushroom essence left. His skillful hands eased their way across her skin and up her front until he was palming her soft, round breasts.

Gasping into his mouth, she gave his hot tongue entry into her own, and she lost her senses. He must have really needed her these past few days considering the fervor with which he was taking her mouth, his tongue firmly kneading against her own, pumping in its own rhythm. His hands gave her mounds a slow squeeze before his deft fingers pinched at her nipples. She practically mewed into his kiss in response.

She wasn't going to pretend she didn't need him just as much as he needed her. Turning against him, he took the opportunity to lift his shirt over his head, tossing it without a care onto their bed, and then tugging her bare chest full against his own. One of her hands gripped into his unruly orange mane, yanking him down without apology back to her mouth, while the other one explored his sculpted abs and chest with firm but teasing strokes. She could feel his throbbing need growing against her abdomen and shivered in eagerness.

One of his hands had returned to a needing breast while the other slipped to her back and caressed down to her firm rear, giving it a squeeze to bring her bodily against him, from tongue to toe. The moan she gave him told him everything he needed to hear while he slowly began to ease her toward the large bed.

Right as her legs hit the mattress, before he could lower her down onto the soft linen, he heard a distinct beeping, high-pitched and fast paced. It ripped through their moment like a Hollow would have done. She sighed against his chest, having pulled her mouth from his at the same offensive sound. He gripped her body in frustration and growled, rethinking his decision on just who it was with the worst luck.

"Answer it," she muttered against his skin when it rang a second time, giving him a chaste kiss to one of his pectorals and trying to push him away from her. He merely held onto her tighter, the flesh of her behind still tightly held in one of his hands. She wanted to give in and ignore it but she knew that wasn't an option, not one without consequences of extreme guilt and/or reprimands later. That ringtone, the most annoying one available in the phone's default settings, was reserved for his boss and coworkers at the hospital he worked out for his specialization training and was only used in emergency situations. "Ichigo…"

"Fine!" He angrily huffed and released part of her, one of his hands still holding her around her thin waist, as he reached over to the nightstand to retrieve his phone. He answered it with a curt introduction, his scowl in full force on his face, hoping the person calling heard just how unappreciated the call was. "Kurosaki." Rukia could hear the other person talking, though she couldn't quite make out the words through the haze she was still recovering from. "Right… Ok, I'll be in soon." He disconnected the call without waiting for a response and tossed it onto the bed behind his lover.

"Work?" she asked, already knowing, leaning her head over where his heart pounded beneath his skin, her arms snaked around his waist.

"Yeah. One of the other interns never showed and they have overflow from the E.R." He kissed the top of her head, taking in the scent of her hair, the feel of her body against his, the soft skin of her back. "I'm s-," he started.

"No, don't. You need to go be a hero," she smirked up at him, showing him she wasn't angry or upset. She pushed against his chest until they were untangled from each other. "_Idiot_. You'll owe me later though." She raised an eyebrow, almost daring him to deny it.

"You bet," he responded with a small grin and a nip on her lips before he grabbed for the shirt he tossed onto the bed earlier, pulling it back over his head. Good thing he kept at least one set of scrubs at the hospital because he needed to leave immediately.

* * *

><p>Rukia did manage to drag herself to shower after listening to Ichigo lock the front door behind him once more. Disappointed wasn't a word strong enough to describe how she felt. They had been so busy and she had been so tired the previous night that it seems the world was out to foil their attempts at love making. She may have been exhausted lately and throwing up that morning but it did nothing to dampen her desire. And it was a need that would need to be taken care of <em>soon<em>.

Stepping out of the shower, she wrapped the over-large towel around her warmed skin and proceeded to the sink to brush her teeth. She couldn't figure out, even with her medical training so far in her education, just what was going on with her. But then again, she could just be over-analyzing everything. After all, she had only thrown up once. Though as she thought of it to herself, she had to admit that her stomach still didn't feel… right. It was already complaining about the soup she had consumed earlier, despite it being the easiest, gentlest food she could have chosen.

Maybe it was just some kind of stomach bug that was going around? Nodding to herself as she spit in the sink, replacing the brush back into her mouth to complete her brushing routine. That actually made sense. There was no fever, no other symptoms other than fatigue, and she had already proven she wasn't pregnant. God, was she to be expecting more vomiting then? She hated that part.

Before her thoughts could continue down that path, she heard her own phone go off, vibrating hard against the wood of the nightstand that Ichigo must have set it on the night before. She spit out the rest of her toothpaste, brushing her tongue quickly, before diving for the phone. She was hoping beyond hope it would be her lover calling to say he was on his way back and to be ready for him.

Rukia blinked at the caller ID and pulled the cell phone to her ear. "_Ohayou_, Karin."

_"Rukia-nee! You know it's officially the afternoon now, right?"_ Rukia couldn't help herself from turning towards the red lights on the alarm clock: 12:20pm. Huh, she was right.

"Yeah, I just had a long night."

_"Ok, _ew_. I love ya and all but that's too much information about my brother."_

The shinigami couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out from her chest. "No, Karin. I mean I didn't sleep well." Rukia casually made her way back to the bathroom in front of the mirror, picking up her comb to work the tangles out of her hair.

_"Oh... is everything ok?"_

"I think I might have some kind of stomach bug or something. But otherwise, I feel fine. So hopefully it'll be gone soon." Having brushed out half of her hair, she switched hands with her phone to work on the other side. That one stubborn lock of black hair already finding its way out of the rest to rest against her forehead.

_"I sure hope so. Especially because Yuzu is making some kind of fancy European dessert for us tonight! I'll be leaving for Tokyo early tomorrow morning and I really want you and Ichi-nii to come have dinner again here tonight!"_

It was heartwarming to hear the harder of the two twins practically begging for them to come over to visit her, even though she really didn't need to. Smiling into the phone, the petite woman touched her stomach, knowing that any dessert the other twin could make would be well worth a trip to even Soul Society and back. "Sure we will, Karin-chan," Rukia teased. "Not that we like you or anything, of course. It's all about that dessert."

_"I figured that would work."_ The younger woman laughed on the other end, not even hesitating at the teasing her sister-in-law was giving her.

"Ichigo had to go into work today to cover for someone else for a few hours. I'll text you when we're on our way though." She almost felt like pouting about it too.

_"Sucks for him. If he can't make it, you'll still come right?"_

"Of course! You said 'dessert'!" Even though she was terribly concerned about seeing the food come up again like it did that morning, she couldn't very well turn down Yuzu's delicious concoctions. Besides, it was really all about visiting Karin while she was in town anyway.

_ "Haha! More for us then! See you soon, Rukia-nee!"_

"Ja ne, Karin." Having closed her phone and thrown it on the bed, the dark-haired woman turned to her side of the closet. She decided that she would not let herself fall asleep tonight like she had the last and she would actually get to spend some quality, intimate time with her lover after dinner. And that occasion calls for… "My black skirt," Rukia grinned.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong> So just WHAT is up with Rukia? ^_~ You may think you know, but don't be so sure! Besides, you'll ruin the drama if you were actually told right up front, right? No matter what things I throw at them though, I _will_ promise you that it'll have a happy ending. I'm of the camp that no one reads something and gets lost in a world of fantasy just to have their hearts crushed at the end with a tragic ending. Those stories make me want to cry or throw things. They may be well-written pieces of art but I want fluffy endings!

I meant for this chapter to be longer… But things at work are getting so busy that I figure I'll just cut it off at the earliest moment that it could still make sense and publish it so that people don't think I've disappeared.

Also! I decided that I agreed whole heartedly with **LRed** and **ichirukitard**'s reviews on my other chapter (wonderful reviews, by the way! Loved them all!). Who couldn't use a dose of awkward moments, confessions, first kisses, and fluff from our favorite couple? A sad, sad person, that's who! So there WILL be a prequel that I'm starting to draft _**right now**_! It won't be near as long as I'm planning this one to be. I really want to be able to complete the prequel before I get into the "meat and bones" of this story so that it can provide background.

And since this one isn't get as many reviews as I was hoping… I may temporarily abandon it to work on the prequel… That is, if that's what the readers want. So know that I **AM** reading the reviews. I need more pushing than the emails about being added to an alert, which is still super awesome, by the way, but it just doesn't do the same for me as an actual review!

One more quick little temptation for everyone – some characters from the Gotei 13 WILL have cameos or regular appearances in this fic! Why? Cause we love them! 3

* * *

><p><em>Ohayou<em> – Good morning

_Ja ne_ – See ya


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4**_

* * *

><p>Dressed sharply in her fitted, mid-thigh length black skirt and a soft, red jewel-toned sweater Rukia searched the rumpled bed sheets for her ringing cell phone. Finally locating it, she immediately clicked the 'answer' option and pressed it to her ear. "Ichigo! I texted you ages ago! Why are you not home yet?"<p>

"_I know, I know! I got held up here when another round from the I.C.U. overwhelmed the other interns. I'm hiding in the parking garage right now waiting for the bus."_

"You better not let them see your face, idiot. They'll drag you back there for a full 12-hour rotation," the dark haired woman warned, holding the cell phone to her ear with her shoulder as she grabbed her small purse, keys, and headed towards the front door.

"_Yeah… I know."_ And he did. This came from first-hand experience.

"I'm leaving the apartment now. I'll see you there, ok?" Slipping her feet into her flat, knee-high boots, she exited her home and locked the door behind her.

"_Are you sure you'll be ok going alone?"_

"Ichigo, are you implying I'm weak?" Her frustration could be felt through the phone. Had he forgotten that she was a strong, self-sufficient shinigami underneath this human body?

"_No, well, kinda – I mean!"_ He gulped as he heard her growl at him. _"What I meant was, you've been a bit sick lately and I-I just wanted to be sure…"_

"_Baka_, I'm feeling fine. I already promised to see a doctor if it happens again, right?"

"Right. Good."

A small laugh escaped the petite woman at her husband's attempt to hide his worry. He was really getting himself worked up over it. Rukia knew how to deal with him: a beating, lecture, or distraction made up her arsenal of 'Ichigo correctors'. She figured this situation called for weapon number three. "Get there fast or I'll eat all of Yuzu's special dessert. And don't think I'll leave you any!"

"_What? Rukia, that's not fair!"_

Unable to contain herself, she let out a hearty laugh before disconnecting the call on his outrage.

* * *

><p>Rukia was none too surprised to find that she did arrive first to the Kurosaki residence. What she didn't expect was how grateful she would be to have time in the bathroom to ease her sensitive stomach before the orange-haired worry-wart arrived to hover over her. Thankfully, there was no vomiting this time, though if she were still on the train the story definitely would have ended differently. Stepping out of the room and cutting off the lights, she did find herself face-to-face with a very worried younger sister.<p>

"Rukia-nee, are you ok?" Yuzu inspected the shorter, older woman for any signs of illness or distress in her maternal fashion. Still wrapped in her apron, a small wooden spoon set inside one of the pockets in the front, the blonde woman appeared downright motherly.

"Of course, Yuzu!" Rukia smiled nervously. "Now how about we get to dinner before your brother arrives so we can laugh at him for missing it?"

"That's not very nice…" Yuzu tried to scold but found herself giggling as her brother's wife waltzed into the kitchen ahead of her, a pale, delicate hand waving in a humorously dismissive manner.

"It's his own fault for being late. Besides, his expression will be worth it to tell him that we devoured all of this special dessert I've been told about."

"Oh, that's right! I read all about this dish called 'tiramisu'! I think you'll love it!" Yuzu's worry was successfully vanquished as she followed her into the kitchen to begin dishing out the meal for the rest of the hungry Kurosaki family. Weapon number three worked especially well on this one.

* * *

><p>Fortunately for him, Ichigo did have some luck and arrived shortly after everyone else started eating. Though the shock and annoyance on his face was just as Rukia said it would be – priceless – when she forbade him from joining them at the table considering how poor his manners were to arrive late. The lovers' quarrel had the rest of the family in stitches, especially when Ichigo employed his own defensive strategy of lifting his wife off her chair as she went flailing and cursing, and as he sat himself it, replacing her on his lap, and then proceeded to eat directly off her plate. Throughout the meal, the arguments continued, breaking only for new bites of food and for one of four younger Kurosakis to yell at Isshin to sit back down.<p>

After the table had been cleared and everyone was served hot tea to ease full stomachs, Yuzu surprised everyone by standing and tapping on her cup. Her face was set in an expression of determination and serious that had the rest curious, worried, or slack-jawed.

"Yuzu?" Karin asked in a quizzical tone.

"I have an announcement to make!" She proclaimed in a no-nonsense voice. "Daddy is going on a business trip-,"

"Honey, I thought we talked about this…" Isshin tried to interject into his sweet daughter's speech, looking a bit sheepish and his head leaning down closer to his hot tea.

Said Kurosaki continued, unfazed and undistracted, "At the end of this week and into the weekend. This is important for the clinic and I want to make sure-,"

"Yuzu…" He tried again, fidgeting with the tea cup in his hands. The eyes of the other three, silent and puzzled, bounced between the two.

"That the clinic's regulars are contacted and preparations made for-," this time, she found herself unable to continue. Her father stood from his spot with no warning, his chair making a very loud, disruptive screech across the floor.

"Sweetie," he started, his eyes distant and his face looking uncharacteristically serious. "I told you I can't leave the clinic and there's no reason for me to attend this meeting."

"But, Daddy, if you don't go, the funding-!" Yuzu was in a downright panic, not ready to give up her mission, and Rukia couldn't, for the life of her, figure it out. But the other man at the table must have had an understanding at what they were talking about because the next thing she knew was that she was forcibly standing, grabbing onto the table to keep from losing her footing, as Ichigo bounded out of his chair and into his father's face.

"What's this about the funding? Old man, are you not going to the prefecture's medical conference?" The substitute shinigami's scowl was registering a full level 10 of 10 on his scale of moodiness. Rukia hoped that at least she could grasp what the fight was about before it led to fisticuffs.

It wasn't until his son's outburst did the last of his children fully comprehend what the big deal was and Karin joined the rest of her family in the standing position. "Why the hell would you not go? What would happen to the clinic?"

Rukia bit her lip and glanced at her family, wishing she understood the implications that everyone else seemed to already recognize. "What's important about this conference to the clinic?" She felt she had the full right to insert her question into the tense atmosphere, though she was careful not to further aggravate it. After all, both her and Ichigo's educational goals were centered around the clinic for the purpose of supporting the entire Kurosaki family.

Surprisingly, it was Yuzu that cut in to answer her first. Her warm, brown eyes misted with emotion and she clutched a fist to her chest. "It's a conference for the prefecture's medical funding for all of the nonprofit hospitals, clinics, and medical facilities. If Daddy doesn't attend…"

When his sister's words trailed off and her eyes moved to the table, Ichigo's hand hit the table with rattling force. "That is _NOT_ an option. Goat-chin _will_ be going to that conference. It's what's keeping our clinic above water right now. Why in the hell would you _not_ be going, Oyaji?"

The father pushed away from the table and the eyes of all those awaiting an answer. Sighing and lifting a hand to his hair, he turned to the poster on the wall, his voice low. "Masaki, we have a determined bunch of children."

"Talk to _us_, Dad!" Karin was about fed up with his evasion.

"The conference is so far and lasts nearly a week, kids." The aging man said with a hint of defeat. "Can you imagine how much it will cost to get there, pay for the hotel room, and meals? Not to mention I'd have to close up the clinic for that time without anyone qualified to take my place yet? And the few staff we have left need to be compensated while it's closed, otherwise I'd be returning to an empty employee lounge and a stack of resignation letters. We'd be spending a lot of money while making none. That could be the last straw for our family clinic. Will anyone show up with we have to reschedule them? Will there be any hope for new patients if it's closed for six days straight?"

"What good will possibly losing our funding do for us if you don't?" Ichigo countered angrily. He wasn't going to take this sitting down if his father thought that he could make decisions about the family without their opinions. He at least wanted to go out fighting if the unspeakable were to actually happen.

"I was hoping to avoid that with a few phone calls to the committee head…"

"_NOT_ good enough!"

Even Karin backed up a bit when her brother yelled at their father with that much fury. Stepping over to her twin, who seemed ready to break down in tears at any moment, she shot her sister-in-law a gaze excusing them from the table while the men fought it out. The shinigami woman nodded at her, glad that Yuzu was being pulled away and consoled. The gentler sister was brave to bring up the subject and very wise to do so when the whole family could be present. Though her understanding was limited in the realm of this world's economics and business structure, she now understood the implications of what was being discussed.

When it was just her, her husband, and her crazy father-in-law left in the kitchen, she interjected herself between the two as the disagreement was pending becoming violent. Stepping in between the two forced Ichigo's grip on Isshin's shirt to release and for both parties to suddenly quiet down as they stared into her strict, narrowed eyes, "Let me get this straight, Tou-sama." She started, her tone even and her voice strong, just as it was the many times she forced Ichigo out of his pity, misery, or self-doubt. "The clinic we are all working hard to support as a family-,"

_Oh, that's good, midget._ Ichigo thought. _Use family guilt on him too!_

"Is in such a precarious position that we could lose patients, regional funding, or both? And you thought not to include any of us in your decision, despite that it affects us all?" Those indigo eyes were not accepting any excuses. After all, what did he think both she and Ichigo were doing with their lives?

"Well… That is… See, my lovely third daughter… It's like this…" The older man, a shinigami with many more years on him than the little woman in front of him, stuttered under her stare.

"Oh, yes, tell me how it is. I'm waiting." Crossing her arms over her chest, she cocked an eyebrow. Ichigo would have laughed at finding his father under her assault rather than himself. That is, if he wasn't also caught in her range of sight and stunned into silence as well.

"I… I…" Now he was drowning without a life vest to keep him above the water. He knew enough to realize phrases like 'I didn't want to worry anyone' and 'I thought I had it under control' were not going to be sufficient and would probably incur further wrath.

"I see. Well, here is what is going to happen. You're going to that conference. You will leave the clinic to Yuzu and me. You will represent the clinic and fight for it. And _you_," suddenly whipping around to her own dumbfounded partner she poked him in the chest. "You will be on call in case of emergency but will otherwise attend classes and clinicals as normal. You are too close to finishing your studies to be distracted."

Isshin finally came out of his stupor to shake his head gently in defeat, not wanting to disappoint his daughter-in-law but not wanting to disillusion himself. "Rukia-chan, there isn't the money to-eh?" Find the same delicate finger poking him in the chest none too gently, he slammed his mouth shut once more. He was just glad it wasn't a zanpakutou.

"Don't you worry about the money. You need to focus on the clinic and your family, as they are one in the same. _That_ is your duty, _Tou-sama_." Rukia's voice and resolve did not waver in the slightest. She would not reveal to either man that the money would come from her dwindling savings that her dear older brother had prepared for her when she started her time in the university years before. It started out being a savings account for emergencies or for the down-payment on her first home. But what it turned into was, what she so affectionately called, her '_holy fuck college text books cost a fortune_' fund. The worst case scenario would be, of course, to contact her brother for assistance but she would put that off to the last possible moment. She was an adult and her mortal family could handle it if they acted as a cohesive unit – together as a team. Besides, no amount of Byakuya's money could solve their problem of regular patients and poor community exposure.

"H-hai," he nodded rapidly until Ichigo thought his head would fall off. Then, taking a deep breath, his serious expression was replaced with one more familiar to the younger people in the room as he lifted dominating woman off the floor and into a tight embrace, her face going from shock to purple as she struggled to breath. "Oh, Masaki! What a wonderful woman our idiot son has married! She will make the perfect Kaa-chan!"

"PUT MY WIFE DOWN, YOU FREAK!"

* * *

><p>The noble heiress was finding herself morbidly getting used to being face-to-seat with the toilet. The strange fluttering in her stomach that caused her queasiness would come and go with such unexpected speed that it would leave her dizzy – literally! She would feel fine and then suddenly sense that she'd be seeing her last meal again and have to stumble her way to the nearest restroom while attracting as little attention as possible. And after brushing her teeth thoroughly to rid herself of the taste, she'd suddenly feel normal again. What the hell was going on with her? And why did she unexpectedly feel like she could really use a nap? Perhaps she would actually listen to Ichigo and go see the doctor at the school clinic. Isshin had enough on his plate already to bother worrying him over this. Besides, it would send her already jumpy nerves through the roof to have every Kurosaki panicking and fawning over her health.<p>

"Rukia-nee?" She heard Karin's unmistakable voice carry through the bathroom door. "Is everything all right?" At least it was one of the twins that kept finding her, though she was starting to think they had some kind of sixth sense when it came to someone being ill in this house.

The woman caught in the midst of a stomach gymnastics routine quickly righted herself from the floor and took purchase on the sink. "Y-yes, I'll be right out." Without waiting for a reply, she turned the faucet on high and scrubbed her teeth as was becoming habit. While she was enjoying the peppermint flavor overtaking the others in her mouth, she couldn't help but start to fret over what was wrong with her. Honestly, a pregnancy would be the least frightening of the options that had planted seed of fear in her mind at this point. But because that already came out negative, she was forced into wondering what else could be forcing her to have such a difficult time keeping food down or staying awake.

Could it really be a stomach bug or virus? Wouldn't that hit her hard for about 24 to 48 hours and be over with? Could that cause her fatigue? Could it just be the precursor to the flu again? That would explain the vomiting and the exhaustion but, again, this seemed too mild of symptoms for what she went through last time, not to mention there is a distinct lack of a fever. As miserable as that was, even that would be a welcomed answer to the next horrific thought that sprung uninvited to her mind.

Was this what killed her sister?

No, she refused to even entertain that thought. It would be a waste of time and energy to worry over something she knew nothing about. She wasn't even sure what happened to her older sister's health, let alone her symptoms. And there would be no way for her to breach that subject with her brother, who still to this day was as devoted to her memory and he ever was. Besides, there should be no reason for her to have to discuss it with him when she lived in the mortal realm with plenty of talented, knowledgeable doctors and advanced medicine.

_Right?_

* * *

><p>He was wondering where his wife disappeared to as he sat at the table with his father, enjoying the delicious European dessert Yuzu whipped up for everyone. It was amazing, as he knew it would be, but he found himself watching the doorways, waiting for a certain black-haired midget to reappear sometime soon. Ichigo couldn't even be bothered with listening to his father rant and rave about the conference, or the motherly qualities of his spouse, or the dessert, or the necessary supplies for the clinic, or whatever topic the crazy old man was on about now. He stopped paying attention a while ago.<p>

_I_ _bet she's getting sick again… Dammit, midget, you need to see a doctor._ He scowled hard at this thoughts. If he had to skip classes or his clinicals at the hospital, he was going to drag the miniature woman kicking and screaming all the way to the Emergency Room if she refused to do things the easy way. It's not like she had anything to prove to the world about how tough or resilient she was. After being knocked through windows, slammed into concrete, sliced by a sword, skewered by an Arrancar, and impaled on a spear, there would be little doubt left as to your level of badass-ness. This was not a war she needed to puff up for. This was her mortal life. And here, it was more about long-term endurance rather than a sprint to the finish line.

Breaking him out of his reverie, Ichigo's head popped up to watch his darker sister lead his wife back into the kitchen, seeming none worse for wear and both smiling casually. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Perhaps he was getting just a little bit paranoid about her.

"Yuzu, could you wrap up mine and Rukia's share of the dessert? We stuffed ourselves with your dinner but really want to take some with us!" Karin grinned, her hands placed casually behind her head.

"But Karin-chan…" Yuzu pouted at them both. "I wanted to see if you liked it or not."

"There is no doubt in my mind that we will love it. I'm just so full right now…" Rukia rubbed her stomach for emphasis and smiled sheepishly at the family chef. "Besides, I think Karin is just trying to make off with extra helpings of it."

"H-hey! You're giving away my secrets!"

Rukia smiled to herself as she watched Yuzu giggle at her twin who was trying her best to look offended. _Thank you, Karin._ Yes, she would be making a doctor's appointment. It was one thing to be nervous about herself and it was another to have her husband and sisters concerned.

* * *

><p><em>The second time she exited the bathroom at the Kurosaki residence, she was even more unlucky. She had been hoping that Karin didn't hear was she was doing in there. She had also hoped that the younger woman would have left by the time she was done cleaning herself up. Rukia wished she had been paying better attention to the surrounding reiatsu beforehand to know just how long Karin had been standing there.<em>

"_Rukia, are you sick?" She knew she had a very concerned imouto on her hands, judging by the fact that her affectionate suffix was dropped. The young woman's dark eyes were wide with worry but her tone left no room for bullshitting. She had definitely heard her losing some of Yuzu's meal in there._

"_Karin…" Rukia knew there was no way out without either outright lying or admitting the truth. Weapon number three worked like shit trying to attract honey bees when it came to this family member. She was ok with that as long as… "You have to swear not to tell the others. I don't need Yuzu worrying herself to death or Ichigo thinking it's more serious than it is."_

"_Rukia-nee…"_

"_You have to __**promise**__, Karin. You know I can take care of myself and that we need to be focusing on the clinic and your brother finishing his clinicals right now." Rukia had nearly convinced herself to plead, especially with Isshin in the home to put her embarrassment, guilt, and an array of tests she wanted absolutely nothing to do with if he found out that she was ill. He would most likely inadvertently bring up grandchildren as well and Rukia wasn't quite sure she was over her own disappointment yet, despite her intense denial about it._

_Her sister considered her words. This was the best person that could have caught her, honestly. She was also, ironically, the hardest to deceive or deflect. But the important thing was that she understood responsibility, independence, and pride. It wasn't that Karin's older brother didn't comprehend these things as well but his wife was his exception – to __**everything**__._

"_I suppose…" Karin sighed, averting her eyes to the wall and stuffing her hands in her jeans' pockets. She was considering her options carefully and weighing the outcomes, all to the pride and relief of her sister-in-law. Finally she shrugged, looking slightly defeated but a smirk pulled at the corner of her mouth. "Maybe you just ate a little too much of Yuzu's food. You can take your share of dessert home with you."_

_Rukia started to smile. She really missed this reasonable Kurosaki since she left for the university in Tokyo, a few hours away. They had a strong understanding between them and the most in common. She was completely ok with this being the one Kurosaki she couldn't divert when needed._

"_But you better tell Ichi-nii if you're sick again or it gets worse. He will not forgive anyone for keeping your health a secret – even you. You are at least planning on seeing a doctor, right?"_

* * *

><p>After getting an extra helping of tiramisu wrapped up in a bento and sharing extended goodbyes to the sister they wouldn't see again for another couple of weeks at least, Ichigo finally found himself on the train next to his wife again. There was a bit of déjà vu from the previous evening, only this time he knew Rukia had been feeling under the weather. But damn her for wearing that tight skirt and charming sweater.<p>

Thankfully, she seemed just fine as they were leaving his childhood residence. He was still as serious as a heart-attack that he'd drag her to the doctor's if he had to but hopefully it wouldn't come to that. After all, she did promise to make an appointment if she got sick again or felt worse at any point. Then again, if she was going to reporting to the Kurosaki Clinic for nearly a week of work while trying to balance just enough of her classes to avoid having to withdrawal, her exhaustion was just going to get worse if she _wasn't_ ok. Of course, the last thing she'd stand for was him hovering over her like some mother hen.

Balancing the desire he had for his wife and the disquiet for her health was precarious, at best. Placing a hand on her knee, he rubbed his thumb into her bare skin with a gentle firmness and leaned toward her ear. "How are you feeling?"

She definitely picked up what he was laying down because her hypnotizing violet-blue eyes lifted to meet his with a glint of mischievousness in their depths. "I'd rather show you how I'm feeling." Without even having to ask her, he knew that she realized he was originally asking about her stomach. Though he had to give her credit, he was definitely wanting to know in relation to any _relations_ they would be having once they got home.

His worried scowl lifted to a small smirk. He liked the sound of that. "That good, ne?"

"It will be," she promised lowly, looking quite sly as she crossed her legs at the knees, leaving his hand on top of the knee nearest him. If Ichigo could have kicked every person off the train at that very moment, he certainly would have.

* * *

><p>No time was wasted whatsoever as the substitute shinigami all but dragged the giver of his powers up to their apartment and through the front door. It had been too long, far too long. He kicked off his shoes and threw his jacket to land on the back of the couch. Rukia had only managed to slip off her yellow pea-coat but didn't even get the closet door open to hang it up before she was lifted off the ground and slung over her husband's shoulder like a sack of potatoes.<p>

"What the-? Ichigo! Put me down!" Her coat dropped from her hands and onto the floor of the genkan, giving rise to a very irritated growl that came out of the tiny woman hanging from the orange-haired man's shoulder. She felt her shoes being removed and tossed to join her coat on the floor before being expedited into the bedroom. "You orange-haired buffoon! You will go pick up my coat right now! It's going to be dirty sitting there!" She even swung her arms and legs against his body for emphasis.

With a small grunt for the good kick she got into his gut before he tightened his muscles against her tirade, he scowled over his shoulder at her. "Shut up, chibi. You're ruining the mood."

"MOOD? You're the one being undignified and hauling me off to the bedroom like some barbaric cave man – oof!" Landing in the soft sheets of their shared bed, she didn't hold back the fiery glare she directed at her life partner.

"Are you really feeling ok?" He asked, leaning nearer to her face, his scowl taking on a more worried appearance. Ichigo was giving her a way out of intimacy if she needed it. That stupid, sweet, ridiculous idiot. She fully blamed him for the softening of her powerful glare into a small smile.

This is what she loved about him. No matter what it was that he wanted or the distractions that came along, he was always worried about her. She also knew that he was none too excited about her forcing her assistance at the clinic, even if it was to help his little sister run the place. She had already skipped classes all day Friday, slept much more than usual all weekend, and had been caught in the bathroom vomiting. If he found out that she had been forced to excuse herself more than that once to visit the porcelain throne, he'd have kittens. Thankfully Yuzu and Karin gave nothing away about her two visits during her evening dinner visit.

_Wait… Dinner… The dessert!_

"Ichigo! The bento needs to be put away!" The blinked once and then bounced off the bed at a speed that astounded Ichigo. Her socked feet slid across the wooden floor of the living room as she went to retrieve the dropped leftover dessert to get it in the refrigerator as soon as possible. Honestly, he was mostly wondering how the hell her train of last led from his question to that. Should he be insulted?

"Rukia?" He called out to her. Poking his head around the doorframe of the bedroom just as he heard the refrigerator door close, he found the midget standing before him with a smugness on her face that made him swallow. He wasn't sure what exactly he wanted to ask her so he just kept his mouth shut.

"So do you want to see who else can be barbaric?" And without warning, she grabbed onto the collar of his shirt, dragged his face level to hers, and forced her mouth on top of his. After his initial shock, he relented control over to his warrior princess and opened his mouth. Her slick, little tongue thoroughly distracted him from noticing that she had begun to back him up into the bedroom until he fell from his bent position back onto the bed.

"I guess you're feeling just fine," he grinned widely, a heat already started over his body at her suggestive smile. He held his breath as he watched her crawl up and over him slowly, inching closer to his face, her body curved erotically.

"You tell me," she whispered lustfully before attaching her mouth to his again and falling with him to the sheets.

Rukia knew he would ask her again about her stomach. She could even see it coming that he would ask her about making a doctor's appointment or if she was going to be able to handle going to school, labs, and working at the clinic all at the same time for a week. He may even surprise her and remember in the next 12 hours to ask her about how she planned on funding the expense of paying all of the clinic's limited employees during a week of limited business while his father was away. Of course, if she did a good enough job distracting him tonight he may not remember to ask that for a few more days.

Yes, weapon number three certainly worked well on one Kurosaki Ichigo. (And it didn't do too bad a job at satisfying one Kurosaki Rukia, as well.)

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: <strong>Yes, I know this took me forever to crank out but I hope it was worth it! I wasn't quite sure how well fitting in a lemon in the middle of all that drama would go... So I left it out. Gomen!

But how about this... If I get enough comments (or pleads or praises or vows of love and worship...) about it, I will go back and either edit a nice juicy one in or I'll simply continue drafting a different lemon one-shot that I've been working on and put it up here FIRST! _**This is all up to you! **_

Also, I was particularly worried about the flow of this chapter since it was a bit different than the previous three. So I hope everyone followed it... There is also more slang in it than I'm used to in 'professional-type' writing... But some of it I couldn't resist. "You pickin' up what I'm layin' down?" Hehehe. I see something like that being very Ichigo.

Just trying something a little new... Please let me know what you think! The more comments and support I get, the faster I write! **DON'T YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?**

* * *

><p>Genkan – the area of a Japanese home, apartment, and some businesses that is usually a lower level than the rest of the home, tiled, and is where everyone leaves their shoes<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5**_

Light brown eyes opened the next morning to the sound of gentle ringing and blinking red LED lights announcing that it was 6:00 in the morning. Swallowing the groan at the wake-up call, Ichigo reached a long arm over to shut his alarm off on the nightstand, his other arm firmly trapped beneath a warm body snuggled against his side. Taking his free hand to rub his face, he desperately wished it were any day but Monday and anytime but the early morning. He once again cursed himself for having such an early schedule, especially since it conflicted with Rukia's. Thank god that it was less than a year that he would complete his studies and internship at the hospital and move to more reasonable hours and more free time with his tiny shinigami.

Speaking of his beautiful midget, he leaned back over her form, one of his arms still caught under her as her delicate head slumbered on his shoulder, unaware of his attentions. Pushing some of her soft black hair out of her eyes to get a clearer view of her face, he couldn't stop the simultaneous pangs of love and worry that hit his stomach. She had seemed perfectly normal the night before at dinner. And, of course, she certainly had vigor last night as they finally were able to quench their thirst for each other after days of drought. He couldn't help when a small scowl replaced the smile on his face as he found himself praying that she really was back to her resilient strength again.

But he was not so easily fooled. He knew her inhumanly high pain tolerance and her downright annoying Kuchiki stubbornness, which far outlasted her actually carrying that name. He wasn't going to simply assume that she was back in fighting form, sort of speak, simply because he enjoyed their zealous coupling the night before. It was still quite possible, and highly probable, that she was still feeling unwell. What bothered him most about her not feeling well was how secretive she was about it. When she first got the flu she toughed it out on a daily basis like a soldier would. But when she learned what it was, how bad it could get, and that it wasn't something she could fight off with her zanpakuto, she gave in and allowed herself to be coddled. She even took humor in it and would whine and pout to further get what she wanted, usually for the singular goal of frustrating her partner to his wits' end.

So why was she still fighting this? Could it be that it was honestly nothing to fret over? Perhaps it was just exhaustion like he thought. In which case, he was even more concerned about the coming week and how little sleep his dark-haired lover was going to be getting. Or... Or it could be serious and she's playing the damned selfless martyr – again!

_Dammit, Rukia._

Didn't she realize by now that her health, happiness, and general well-being were his _raison-d'__ê__tre_? Rukia had no reason to suffer or hide for his, or anyone else's sake, at all! Ever again! That was not part of their agreement, relationship, or, _hell_, their marriage vows! It was always about her for him!

Carefully lifting her head off his body and replacing it on a soft, white pillow, he slowly eased himself from the mattress, careful not to stir Rukia awake. Against his more primal nature, he managed to take the sheets and cover up her nude form from his eyes. What he wouldn't give to spend an entire day in bed with her. It felt like years, though it was only a few months, since the last they allowed themselves such a lazy day. He allowed himself a small snort as he grabbed a clean pair of underwear and marched to the bathroom to clean up for work. It was honestly more that he had to convince her that it was ok to be lazy once in a while. After all, they had worked for that right more than a couple times over by now – in multiple dimensions.

Within half an hour, Ichigo was cleaned, dressed, and shoved a haphazardly prepared bento into a small messenger bag with his medical books. Leaning over to give his still sleeping wife a kiss on her cheek before leaving, he spotted her cell phone on the nearby dresser. With a smirk on his face, he couldn't help but lift the device to add an alarm and message for the slumbering woman who would be rising a few hours after his classes already started. With just a cursory glance back into the bedroom to make sure he didn't disturb her, he slipped out of the apartment and locked the door behind him.

It was now 6:30 in the morning and he was just in time to catch the early bus into his first clinical, then to his traumatic injury lecture. Unlike becoming a shinigami or gaining his bankai, everything in this life took baby steps. And this time, Ichigo was glad for it. He could very well see himself going mad if it wasn't for taking it one morning at a time, one class after another, one semester then another. He had Rukia with him right by his side, whether physically present or not, as she has always been since he was a 15 year old punk who tried to act like he just didn't give a damn.

_Rukia..._

* * *

><p>The first thing she was aware of was that she was very warm. The second was that the other side of the bed was empty. That told her it was either very early in the morning and her sleeping partner (aka 'snuggle bunny') left to relieve himself or that it was Monday morning and time for her to go to class. She almost dreaded the answer but knew it was not an option to ignore it. Lifting her head slowly out of her bed sheets, she was blinded by the sunlight pouring through the slightly parted curtains. That, with the distinct lack of any noise in the apartment, told her that the answer was the undesirable one. It was Monday and time to go to her first class.<p>

Blinking tired eyes over to her alarm clock, she almost shocked herself out of bed to read that it was already 11am! She already missed her first class! She almost never had to set an alarm to get up in time for her afternoon schedule, being the early riser she was. Well, she supposed it was her own fault considering she _had_ been unnaturally tired lately. She really should have set one…

But at least it was one of her least favorite classes ever; though that professor was definitely not her biggest fan and it would be miserable to walk in tomorrow after missing Friday and Monday consecutively. It didn't help Rukia's opinion of the professor either when she spent the entire Nutrition curriculum to spout flames of hatred toward anything tasty that the shinigami found particularly wonderful in the world of the living – soda, candy, popcorn, ice cream, western French fries, potato chips. Ok, so Rukia was a junk food lover. She refused to be shamed by it!

The alarm clock ticking by another minute in front of violet-blue eyes brought a groan from the exhausted woman hidden beneath the bed sheets. Throwing off the warm sheets the cold air hit her nude body with cruel insensitivity. "Holy hollow shit! I barely have time to shower and make it to my second class at this point."

Before she could stumble her way to the adjoining bathroom, a chipper beeping sound resounded in the otherwise silent bedroom and nearly had Rukia face-planting into the floor as she struggled to get to her phone on the nightstand on the other side of the bed, her side.

* * *

><p><em>Morning, beautiful-n-bossy. Make a doctor's appt. Take it easy if you need to. Call me if you need ANYTHING.<em>

* * *

><p><em>And he's calling ME bossy?<em> Normally the orange-headed fool telling her to do something never would guarantee that she'd actually listen. In fact, she often enjoyed doing just the opposite to see that vein in his forehead throb and his old scowl put a crease between his eyebrows. But this time, she was actually going to do what he asked, no, commanded. Not that she was doing it simply _because_ he said to. No, she was genuinely concerned herself at this point.

Raising the cell phone to her ear, listening to the awkward hold music for only a few moments, "Yes, I'd like to make the earliest appointment possible..."

* * *

><p>It figured that with her luck lately that the 'earliest appointment possible' would be Friday late afternoon. That is, unless she was willing to go into emergency care prior to then. That was an obvious answer for the woman who handled being skewered through the midsection by a trident as if it were merely a flesh wound. It was also her luck at work, or so she blamed, that Isshin decided to leave for his conference trip on Wednesday afternoon rather than early Thursday morning like originally discussed. He needed to 'make good time' and who was she to argue? The clinic meant everything to the family and that included Rukia now.<p>

So after a normal but still physically draining Monday and Tuesday she mentally prepared herself for the start of a week without the elder Kurosaki. _One week_, that's all she had to remind herself when preparing for even less time for homework, less time for sleep, less time with her husband, less time to find new techniques to keeping food down in order to get any nutritional value out of meals.

Her week had started out relatively normally thus far but she knew that her 'gut check' would start with going straight to the Kurosaki clinic on Wednesday after her last class, skipping unnecessary study groups, clinicals, or advisor meetings. She would have to begin with cutting those checks from her savings for the employees, begin rescheduling appointments requiring the resident M.D. (medical doctor) on hand, following up with patients waiting on test results, and then beginning the inventory of all equipment and supplies that would need restocking. All of that plus the 'usual' work of filing medical invoices and claims, sending out appointment reminders, answering phone calls, and assigning incoming patients.

All of this without a break for meals or stopping by her home. She knew she would barely see Ichigo for this next week and that he'd most likely be ornery by the end of it. The only positive side would be to limit his time spent worrying over her flagging appetite or her mounting fatigue. She tried not to acknowledge her husband's worried glances or knowing looks whenever she found a new, creative excuse to go to the bathroom as it was. Rukia's patience and energy was slipping and she found the only way to bring herself down from beating him senseless was to chant: "Friday. I'm seeing someone on Friday," like a mantra until he backed off.

So food continued to repulse her, she felt like she could fall asleep at any given moment, her orange-haired idiot had reached a new level of annoyance, she was on the edge of her professors' patience, and the week had only just begun.

Was it the weekend yet?

* * *

><p>Ichigo was lying in bed, trying not to drift off to sleep after a long day of lectures, clinicals, increasingly strange cases in the emergency room, overtime working those increasingly strange cases in the emergency room, and then returning to an empty apartment to make dinner for himself and leave enough for his wife. It was a tiring, trying, and depressingly Rukia-free day. The worst part of it was that it was only Wednesday and it was the start of her week at the clinic for the shinigami woman.<p>

Speaking of the she-devil, she was supposed to be home an hour ago to have her fill of the leftovers and put her warm body in bed next to his. He couldn't imagine allowing himself to sleep until she was safely back within his arms' reach. Staring at his phone, plugged in to charge on the nightstand near his head, he restrained himself from texting her yet again. Her language was growing increasingly more colorful with every new message he sent to get her cute ass home. He swore to himself that tomorrow he would meet her there or have her picked up because he wasn't going to do this for a whole week. Sure, she could handle herself in most situations but his overactive imagination wouldn't afford him to just relax and wait. Besides, anything was better than losing time with her and worrying about her traveling, alone, tired, and unwell. And he didn't care looking like an overprotective, hover-husband in order to do so.

Letting out a silent sigh, the war hero flipped back over onto his back and stared at the ceiling, willing himself to wait just a few more minutes before texting again. It mattered not that he would probably receive a beating from the chibi for failing to heed her words that she was _'on her way'_ and _'could take care of herself just fine, thank you'_.

Five. Ichigo decided that she had just five more minutes to walk through the front door before he would be out of his body fast enough to-

His thoughts were cut off and his scowling interrupted at the sound of the front door opening, shoes being removed, a heavy bag being carelessly tossed onto the floor, and the door relocking behind the new inhabitant. Biting his lips together to keep from saying the wrong thing; whatever the right thing to say was at the time, he knew not. But he leaned up from his position in the bed to watch his wife, his own domestic death god, lumber her way into the bedroom with unhidden weariness.

He couldn't hold back his tongue as he gently inquired in the silence, "Dinner?"

Midnight locks in need of a brushing swayed gently as Rukia shook her head. "Too tired. Food tomorrow." And with no fanfare whatsoever, she stripped the clothes from her body until she was left in just her underwear, amber orbs never straying from her pale body barely illuminated in the dim room. His eyes rove her body with love, possession, appreciation, and concern. He could save the desire for another night. Standing in the middle of the bedroom with no sign of her usual modesty or insecurity, she fumbled to lift her large nightshirt, previously one of Ichigo's t-shirts from high school, over her head.

Rather than forcing her to climb over himself to her side of the bed or exiting its warmth, Ichigo lifted the sheets of the bed in an invitation to join him. He moved his body just enough to give her lithe form room enough to lay down and tuck into his body. Allowing himself the sentimental gesture of a kiss to her crown, he held her body close.

"I'm going to go over to the clinic after work to help out, ok? I'll bring dinner." He could spare some of his clinical time at the hospital considering she was missing so much of her own schooling to do this for his family. Besides, he had already decided that he hated waiting for her at night anyway.

"Mmmm..." That was the only answer he got from her before she drifted off to sleep, her wordless acquiescence was thanks enough for him.

* * *

><p>The day was going just fine. Sure she was downright exhausted, barely able to keep her eyes open on the faces of the employees she was assisting. Also, having had no luck in keeping food down long, Rukia had forgone her normal meal routine days ago. She was thankful to not having to resort to lying or misdirecting Ichigo from the fact she had not been able to sustain three meals a day. He either was completely oblivious or chose not to fuel her irritation and kept his mouth shut. But her gastrointestinal upset only worsened since the start of this stressful week and now she was lucky to keep down her breakfast in the morning and a nutrient juice before grabbing the train over to the Kurosaki clinic after her classes.<p>

But it was still fine. It was enough to keep from starving and she just reminded herself of the countdown until her Friday appointment. Just one more day to get through. She just needed to make it through Thursday and then a doctor would hopefully answer all questions and cure all ailments. If they didn't, Rukia was honestly near ready to impale herself on her own zanpakuto.

The occasional dizzy spell was making work at the clinic trying though. She would feel the world spin around her if she turned too fast or stood up from a squatting position, putting documents in their proper filing cabinet. This vertigo trips did little to help her queasy stomach. Even if she hadn't recently ingested anything, she would find herself holding her stomach and squeezing her eyes shut, willing everything to keep from coming up. But that too was fine. She had discovered that merely remaining in the front desk chair rather than standing helped keep her steady and made it easier to ignore the sensation of stones being tossed like a hacky-sack in her stomach.

Rukia thanked the powers that be that she hadn't lost her stomach contents at the clinic yet. Though there wasn't much to lose today, she mused to herself. She had been completely disinterested in food since breakfast when she was able to barely maintain the plain sticky rice she swallowed for Ichigo's sake. So, technically, today was more than fine since she hadn't heaved once.

She hadn't skipped any necessary class since that one Monday morning, hardly counting the lectures that didn't have an attendance policy that were skipped for the clinic's sake. Of course, napping through the rest of her classes notwithstanding. So school was fine... In a sense, at least. The noble woman was also able to help the staff avoid a few mini-crises already. They were all paid, for one. And she even included a small bonus to thank them for their loyalty to the family-run business. It mattered little to her that it wiped her savings clean out. What's more, not a single patient went un-contacted that had an appointment scheduled that week. Successful. So everything was going fine.

"Kurosaki-san, could you fax over that medical claim for Suzuki Miaka? I just spoke with the insurance office and they had trouble reading the last copy." One of the nurses, her dark brown hair tied up in a curly, attractive mess smiled over to her boss-elect.

"I will. Thank you, Hashiba-san." Rukia was beyond grateful to these nurses. She would have given them a much more handsome sum for their bonus if she hadn't run out of funds. They somehow sensed how weighed down their doctor's daughter-in-law was becoming and began to work extra diligently on matters they could handle without her, letting her keep to her desk and answering phone calls as they came in. Though she would never admit and would probably kidney punch anyone who called her bluff, she had even begun to doze a bit on the cold, hard desk in between pressing clinic chores. So everything would be fine.

But when she stood up from her comfortable position in the office chair to fetch the said document, her body longer leaning across the desk for support, she didn't exactly feel fine. Her world started spinning faster than before, her vision blurred and tunneled to a narrow, dimmed focus, and her head felt like it might float away from atop her shoulders. She lost acute perception of her surroundings, barely registering Nurse Hashiba and other employees rushing to her side. All she knew was that her eyes wanted to close, her body wanted to lay down, and she was powerless from stopping both from doing just that.

As her eyelids came down and her body met the cool, tile floor only one last thought went through her hazy mind.

_I am_ not _fine._

* * *

><p>Ichigo pulled the buzzing cell phone from his pocket and, seeing his wife's name appear on the screen, immediately answered. A call from his hardworking shinigami was not exactly expected, especially when she knew he was taking the train over to the clinic to make her eat dinner and stay to take her place assisting his father's business. He had full plans on making her nap until it was time to take her home. Having just exited the train station and having a 15 minute walk left to his family's home, he hoped that it wasn't Rukia trying to talk him out of coming over.<p>

"Rukia, what are-?"

"Onii-chan, I don't want you to panic," Yuzu's gentle tone carried over the phone. Between the words she spoke and the fact that his little sister was calling him on his wife's cell phone, panicking was exactly what he was doing.

"What's wrong? Where is Rukia?" His feet stumbled a bit, torn between stopping completely in a shocked state of concern or picking up speed and breaking a record to get to the house.

"Don't worry," the sweet twin almost cooed, trying to soothe before revealing the purpose of the call. This worried him further. "She'll be fine. We had to transfer her to Karakura General since Otou-san isn't here-"

"_WHAT?_ The hospital? Why? Yuzu, what happened?" Ichigo's feet began to move with a purpose as he dashed out of the station and across the street. Thankfully, the clinic and hospital were in the same general direction from his current location.

"Nii-chan, I said we didn't want you to panic!" his little sister fretted over the line. He could hear her indecision on whether to tell him more or not, possibly even regretting calling him rather than waiting for his arrival.

"_Too late_, Yuzu! Now tell me what is going on!" He huffed over the line, clinging to his cell phone in one hand and the messenger bag in the other, desperate to get to his wife, his partner, his friend, his entire world.

"Just calm down, please, and get here first. I already sent everyone else home for the day and closed the clinic. I'll wait for you outside and we'll go see her together."

So his sister wasn't with her right now? Why? Maybe it really wasn't as serious as the boulder in his stomach feared it to be. Or maybe it was and Yuzu knew he would need her as an anchor. But Rukia couldn't be in danger... right? She couldn't... wouldn't...

It had to just be some kind of fault with her gigai, right?

Wait... Body. It was her _body_.

"Hai, Yuzu." And the shinigami substitute ended the call, pocketed the phone carelessly, and ran like his legs had never run before in his life. He always seemed to be running after this one woman, over and over again.

_Rukia!_

* * *

><p>Rukia slowly became aware of the smell of linen and disinfectant. It filled her nostrils without mercy and she could almost taste it. That was the first overwhelming sensation to hit her. It allowed her to slowly come to consciousness and be a bit more prepared for the second sensation that came at her like a train running off the tracks: it was <em>painfully<em> bright. Even through her eyelids she found herself recoiling at the assault on her corneas. With a wince taking over her face, she slowly took in the rest of her environment around her without opening her eyes. It was a bit noisy and the more she woke, the louder the voices seemed to get. She was laying on something firm and uncomfortable, with an over-bleached linen draped over her. And there was an odd, tight sensation in her arm that made her want to scratch it off.

All in all, everything was disquieting and foreign.

While she was struggling for the courage to open her eyes and the energy to get up, someone came to her side and put a gentle hand on her shoulder to keep her from sitting up.

Her throat felt dry and her mouth a bit numb but she swallowed and whispered, "Ichi-?"

"Just relax, Kurosaki-san. You blacked out earlier and you need to rest for a while."

That was certainly not her fool of a husband hovering near her. And Rukia was quite confused by what she meant when she said...

_Oh._ She passed out. At the clinic.

How embarrassing.

Groaning, she allowed her body to relax back into the too thin, too hard mattress of the emergency room gurney. She knew exactly where she must have been taken now. She assumed she was at Karakura General Hospital, which wasn't too far from the family clinic. With an ironic sigh, she figured that she at least wouldn't have to wait till tomorrow for her doctor's appointment. Emergency room, doctor's appointment; same thing, right?

Ichigo would have kittens.

Angry, little, orange, bankai kittens.

"What happened?" The exhausted woman asked for a lack of better words to describe her overall confusion on 'why the hell did I faint?'

"The doctor will be in soon, dear. Just relax for a while. There is water by your bed if you need it. And please don't pull on your I.V.*" The nurse smiled a bit in amusement. "Even when you were out you didn't like to be poked."

The dark-haired woman glanced at her arm, seeing the medical tape keeping down the needle that was underneath her skin. Needles reminded her too much of the 12th Division. She was sure that was why she had been objecting to it even while unconscious. "Ok," was lamely all Rukia could think to say as the nurse stood to leave, pulling a curtain around her gurney, giving the illusion of privacy in an active E.R.

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and allowed her eyes to close again, deciding she'd take the nurse's suggestion. God, how she needed sleep anyway. She'd would worry about everything else after a nice, long nap...

"Kurosaki Rukia?" Another woman entered her curtained little room. She was older than the nurse and beginning to grey at her temples but wore a kind-hearted smile on her face. The white coat set her apart as the doctor and the packet of papers in her hand that she read her name off from meant she was her caretaker.

"Hai," said patient replied, tired and now anxious.

"How are you feeling, my dear?" The compassionate doctor wheeled over a short chair and sat next to her patient, helping Rukia avoid the bright glare of the fluorescents.

The shinigami had to think about that for a moment, ignoring the discomfort she felt to search her body for pain. "Like I haven't slept in days," she finally answered, discovering no real issues to report. "Doctor, is everything all right? I've been feeling so strange lately..."

The smile she received in return Rukia couldn't quite tell if it was comforting, sympathetic, or pitying. Should she feel relaxed? At ease? Frightened? She at least did not wait for permission to feel anxious, biting her lip as she watched her doctor for any sign of concern.

"Kurosaki-san," the doctor began, reaching out a hand to place over the petite woman's own, her fingers were confident in their reassuring touch. The words that next came out of the doctor's mouth froze Rukia to her spot as if she had just gotten stuck in her own zanpakuto's frozen pillar.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> First – _*GASP!*_ Yes, I am that evil. Yup, that's me. Evil. Mwhahaha!

Second, if you are highly knowledgeable of the layout of Karakura, you'll know that the train station isn't as far from the hospital and clinic as I'm making it out to be… Just deal with that part. Creative licensing and all.

Sooooo, everyone feeling confident about their guesses for what's going on? I can't wait to hear your thoughts! And yes, I FULLY EXPECT you to comment/review. This is being uploaded to my deviantart account first because I get more responses there. If you want me to crank out the chapters faster, you'll make sure to review every chapter. And just so you know… **I can see everyone who adds this story to their favorites or puts an alert on it and I KNOW who hasn't reviewed!** C'mon, people! You get to read wonderful IchiRuki stories for free, right? This is your form of easy payment. Also, you have the chance to influence your authors to write more, write faster, or maybe even inspire a change in the story.

*I.V. – intra-venous, it is the very thin needle inserted into a blood vessel to deliver hydration, medication, etc. to a patient.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6**_

Ichigo almost thought his wife was asleep when he finally made his way into her curtained off space of the emergency room galley. He had been nearing pulling out his shinigami badge and exiting his body in order to reach her. Arguing with the staff to let him through to see her, followed by the onslaught of sights, sounds, and smells of the emergency room and knowing Rukia was amongst it was causing his heart to beat hard against the wall of his chest. With caution, he pulled back the green curtain from his shinigami's section of the bay and glanced in. Laying back on the gurney, tucked into the white blankets, with her eyes lightly closed, and her hair resting about her head, he continued to hold his breath at the sight. Worry etched hard into his features, making him look years older than his youthful age. He calmed his mind and spiritually reached out to her to feel the cool reiatsu humming softly, healthy and strong, even if a little slow. He allowed himself a deep breath with relief only at that point.

Indigo eyes opened up to find him standing there, staring at her with concern that translated into a barely contained anger. She was obviously not doing enough to take care of her health. He had told her to go to the doctor. He had told her to call if she needed him. He had told her to take it easy. And he had told her that her health came before everything else. Ichigo felt an argument bubbling forth from the center of this unease that he had no intention of stopping. But before he could even begin with his tirade, she let out a small, completely unimpressed huff and relaxed further into her pillow.

"Stop worrying, idiot. Your face will stick like that."

Her voice, despite her appearance and surroundings, was strong as ever and held no resistance. She knew exactly how to get him going and she probably even knew his response before it came out of his mouth. She baited him and, of course, he had to rise to it.

"Like I'd worry about you! You probably just did this to raise my blood pressure and make me angry." Thankfully she wasn't an ordinary woman and could easily read his real emotions underneath the pent up frustration. He was downright terrified at the prospect of something being wrong with her. Hollows, sure, even traitorous shinigami captains; they didn't worry him. Not anymore. But the thought of her health declining with no tangible enemy to face, that was the most frightening adversary.

But she could read it all, just as she's always been able to. Rukia always knew his innermost fears without even asking. And without him ever asking, she always managed to chase them away. As exhausted as she looked, lying in that hospital bed and surrounded by contraptions that were all meant to monitor her health in the worst case scenario, all she did in response to his outburst was grace him with the smallest of smirks. He crossed his arms over his chest, not budging from the edge of the curtain to come closer, pretending he barely cared in response to her amused expression.

"I said to stop worrying. I didn't say anything about me."

"Wha-? You little-!" He let out a growl of annoyance, huffed like a child, then stomped his way over to her bedside. Leaning an arm on the side of the gurney's railing, he put his face close to hers to give her a kiss on the forehead, his scowl strong and troubled. "You trying to give me a heart attack, Rukia? Because you're doing a good job."

"Nope, that's just a bonus." Her smirk turned into a soft, tired smile as she reached up to lightly touch his cheek, her caress sending small warm tingles through him. She knew how to calm him down just as easily as rile him up.

He leaned into her touch for a brief moment, his eyes closing to compose his nerves. The day she stops bickering with him, he'd allow himself to give in to the hollow within. But until then, they'd be all right. He'd draw from her strength and then protect her with everything he had. "You need a break from work. And school too. You're going to be on lock-down until you're better, you got that?" His eyes would brook no argument. His piercing gaze bore down on hers as he prepared for the fight.

Surprisingly, she put up no such thing and simply nodded. Ok, he'd allow himself to panic just a bit longer. Before he could say more, small steps came up behind him to Rukia's bedside.

"Rukia-chan? How are you? What did the doctor say?" Yuzu's worried, soft voice wavered a bit at the end as she stared down past him at the shinigami lying in the bed.

"First, that I should try not to pass out on tile flooring anymore," Rukia joked with a smile, trying to cheer up the sensitive Kurosaki sister. "But also, that I should rest."

The sandy blonde head nodded and a smile began to creep across her worried expression. Her tensed hand that was raised to her mouth lowered down as her shoulders relaxed. "You could stay with us for a while and sleep in Nii-san's old room. That way you'll be close to the hospital if you need it and you'll have me to call while Nii-san is at work." Ichigo would have grinned at his younger sister's caretaker instincts if he wasn't primarily concerned about Rukia being half the city away from him right after a visit to the emergency room. That was too far for his comfort. "Right? Onii-san?"

"Wha-? Oh, ah, sure she can. I just…" Looking down at his wife again and gazing at her small pale hand lying on top of the thin, white hospital sheet, following the arm to the IV fluids dripping slowly down into her veins, nourishing her. Like hell he'd let her out of his sight. He'd never be melodramatic enough to voice his fear it out loud, at least without just cause, but every time he left her to her own devices something bad happened to her. There would never again be a goodbye note for him to decipher, never again would respect to a warrior's pride be enough to keep his eyes off her in battle, and never again would he have to watch her form disappear before his eyes while those violet-blue orbs sucked his soul away with her.

No, there was no way in any dimension that was happening.

"I'm just going to make a trip back to the apartment and grab some things first. _We'll_ stay at the house until she feels better." Before the look of surprise on Rukia's face could translate into words, and most likely stubborn angry words, he stepped away from the bed and affectionately mused Yuzu's hair. His younger sister stepped in his place beside Rukia's bed, taking position to mother Rukia back into health and most likely to prevent her from prematurely stepping out of the bed. "Watch the troublemaker until I can track down the doctor and discharge our patient, neh Yuzu?"

"Hai!" The young woman chirped, happily having been given a mission. "Now Rukia-chan, I see some water here the doctor set next to you that you haven't finished…"

Ichigo ignored Rukia's half frustrated, half pleading calling for him to come back. Her commands to him broke in pieces between her embarrassed attempts to persuade her sister-in-law that she 'couldn't possibly drink any more water' and that it was the 'third glass of water already'. He allowed her voice to fade from his hearing, trusting in Yuzu's care-giving, in preference to locating which white lab coat wearing practitioner was carrying his wife's information. Stepping out of the small suite of curtained patients and back into the bustling waiting area, fortunately, said person found him instead and he wouldn't have to go back to the information desk.

"Are you Kurosaki-san?" an older, sweet voice asked from behind him. Whirling around he came face-to-face with a middle-aged woman with her dark brown hair pulled back into a bun that probably once held every strand in place. After hours of an emergency room shift, it was a dead giveaway of how exhausting it'd been for her with the tendrils falling down around her face.

"That's me," he replied, unsure of what more to say when he was so caught off guard.

"Good," the woman nodded, walking towards the triage desk he was already reluctantly headed to. She didn't ask him to follow but he did so anyway, her aura telling him that he better keep up. She reached over the desk to where the medical secretary sat, whom he practically scared out of her mind earlier when he was trying to find his wife, and pulled over her clipboard with layers of paperwork and medical records attached. The woman, Yamashita from her name tag, began pulling individual sheets out from the stack, placing them on the top of the board, and, having clicked a pen she pulled out of nowhere, began quickly notating the documents while addressing him.

"Rukia-san is to stay in bed the rest of the day at the very least, if not for the majority of the weekend. She needs to drink plenty of water because she's quite dehydrated and under-nourished. Keep her to starchy foods, no sweets or anything too spicy for while until her stomach settles." Ichigo's brain was starting to spin as paperwork was slowly thrust at him in between her lecture. It was all things he had heard before, out of his own mouth no less to other patients, but in relation to his own wife, his stubborn, strong death god, he was struck dumb. The doctor hardly took notice and continued with her sagely wisdom that flew out of her mouth in a whirlwind with no never mind to him.

"If she begins to feel nauseous again, a cold damp rag and some ginger root will go a long way. Stay away from medications except the acetaminophen that I already prescribed to her. No scalding baths, alcohol, or strenuous activity. She needs to follow-up with a doctor in a week to check on her blood pressure and nutrient levels. She is welcome to come back to see me as I am not usually working emergency room shifts and will be available." Yamashita finally looked up into the startled face of his patient's husband and let out a small, knowing smile. She was patient but obviously overbooked with patients to tend to. "Any questions?"

"Uh…," was all he could think to say for the split moment she gave him. He held the papers in his hands cautiously, not even knowing what they were for at this point.

"You have her prescription, care instructions, new appointment instructions, and discharge papers right there, young man. The patient already has her vitals paperwork." The woman clicked her pen once more and slid it into her breast pocket under her name tag and nodded slightly toward him before looking like she was leaving to tend to another patient.

"S-sensei!" Ichigo called out before she could walk away.

"Yes, Kurosaki-san?" Her motherly smile as she turned around strangely reminded him of the 4th Division captain, bringing back memories after the Winter War. He could recall with startling clarity the fear in his heart, the weight in his chest, when he had learned the extent of Rukia's injuries that were only superficially tended to before she jumped back into the fray to help him. That fear felt a tremendous lot like he did right now.

"Will she be ok?" He asked almost lamely, his eyes speaking volumes of the worry he could almost no longer contain. After such a long list of do's and don'ts for something he didn't understand, he felt stuck in place, as if he were fighting with an invisible foe.

Slipping her hands into the pockets of her coat, the doctor nodded once more, a strange look entered her eyes at the question that Ichigo could not decipher but her sympathetic smile not wavering in the slightest. "Yes, Kurosaki-san." He let out a small breath and watched as she turned from him again and called over her shoulder, "Good luck!"

_Good_ _luck?_ Would they need luck?

* * *

><p>As tired as his wife looked, she refused his assistance once discharged from the hospital, insisting instead on making it out of the building on her own. With Yuzu standing worried on the other side of her, Rukia couldn't have sneezed without being smothered from both sides. After all, it wasn't every day they saw one of the toughest, most independent beings they've ever known look so drowsy and dazed.<p>

He watched her every step with the eyes of a hawk. She was steady on her feet, though her strides were shorter and slower than her usual 'mission-paced' speed. He watched a slender hand nervously tug at the bottom of her dark blue dress underneath her jacket, trying in vain to smooth out the wrinkles that laying in the hospital bed put in it. A frown tugged at his lips harder when his eyes settled on her face, slightly visible dark circles starting to form underneath her usually bright eyes. His gaze must have unnerved her a bit because she stepped slightly off balance, just a bit, when stepping back up onto the sidewalk after crossing the street.

"Dammit, Ichigo. Stop." The raven-haired woman complained weakly, swatting away the hand that went out to hold her arm and steady her on the walk to the bus stop. It was probably bad enough to her that he wasn't allowing them to simply walk home from such a short distance that she'd be refusing all other coddling gestures for as long as she had the power to. Scowling down at her even harder as a cover for his concern, he muttered under his breath about her stubbornness.

"The doctor didn't say anything about my not being able to walk unassisted, fool." Rukia snapped back at him, having heard every word of his complaint.

"I never said you couldn't! But, _damn it all_, Rukia! You just passed out! And you've been ill for over a week! Just suck it up and learn to accept help!" Ichigo threw the arm opposite her out to the side in frustration, as if he could display for her the utter ridiculousness of her obstinacy.

"I'm not an invalid! I don't need-!" Before she could continue her rant, her legs swayed beneath her. Dropping her head into one of her hands as the other shot out and grabbed onto something to steady herself, she felt two bodies jump to her sides. Looking up into two pairs of worried eyes, each their own unique shade of brown, she huffed out in irritated defeat. She was thankful to not meet the sidewalk so she kept the rest of her tirade to herself. Before she could even open her mouth to mumble an embarrassed 'thanks' she heard a cell phone begin to ring a very familiar instrumental rock tune.

"Ichi-nii, it's Karin-chan. Mind if I-?" Yuzu began, not yet releasing her hold on the left side of the dizzy woman.

"Yup," Ichigo cut her off and in one swoop lifted the shinigami off the ground and into his arms, supporting her under her knees and across her back. He couldn't stop the amusement when her thin arms sought purchase around his neck to steady herself at the sudden change in altitude. His wife's reddened face turned away from his as she cursed a soft 'I hate you' that he knew meant something else entirely.

"Moshi-moshi, Karin-chan! Yes, Rukia was just discharged and we're taking her back to the house now… No, she and Ichi-nii are going to stay for a few days while she rests… Dad will be back next week… No, I didn't tell him yet. I didn't want to bother – yes, you're right. That can wait." Yuzu walked along side of her older family members as she chatted with her twin over the sleek cell phone pressed to her ear that Rukia had with her when they rushed her to the hospital, not having time to grab her own. Running a few fingers into her sandy blonde hair as she pushed strands behind her ear in a subconscious gesture of concentrating, she nodded at the voice over the line.

The dark-haired one in the group blinked down at the young woman. Ichigo figured that she had not even realized that more of the family was already informed of her rather embarrassing incident. He was torn between smirking and scoffing at the thought that she seemed surprised that so many people had already jumped up in concern for her health. He figured she'd understand by now. He had hoped that she'd realize, sooner rather than later, that she has more than her childhood friend and adopted brother as family. There was a veritable army of people that would rush to Rukia's side if they had really seen fit to announce it to everyone that she was in the hospital. But Ichigo knew that could result in a punch to his solar-plexus and an embarrassed, angry Rukia later so he had held off. For now.

His sister bounced in her step, temporarily halting in excitement on their walk. Ichigo found himself stopping alongside his sister to keep the group together. The bus stop was only half a block away anyway. "This weekend? Really? That would be wonderful, Karin-chan!"

"Karin is coming into town again this weekend? Is it ok for her to be missing more of her team practice?" Rukia interjected into the conversation, not comfortable with everyone upsetting their importance schedules for her sake.

"Rukia-chan, please. You're family," Yuzu nearly scolded in a soft tone before returning to wishing her sister a good evening and that she's looking forward to her visit soon.

_That's my baby sister!_ Ichigo couldn't contain the grin if he tried as he met the nervous face of his spouse. He chuckled softly in pride at his sister and at the adorable blush on wife's face. His amusement at her whispered 'shut up' lasted until reaching the house.

* * *

><p>With the utmost care he could muster, Ichigo laid the tired woman in his arms into the bed sheets, which had been carefully pulled back by his sister before she ran out of the room to prepare a small meal for the three of them. He pushed an extra pillow behind her head to prop her up for the food before sitting down next to her. Rukia's face turned toward the window of his childhood bedroom, gazing out at the familiar scenery. If he had imagined, almost a decade ago, that the same mysterious girl that had waltzed right through the wall of his room like she owned it would be laying here in the same room, as his wife… Well, he would have probably punched them out. It would have sounded too surreal or unbelievable, not to mention the implications.<p>

But that humorous flashback to his teenage years was cut short when the same woman sighed out his name.

"Hm?" Ichigo inquired, pressing his hip closer to hers and leaning an arm over her legs to support his body.

"Don't… Don't take too long at the apartment." Rukia said softly. Her voice wasn't weak, and he would argue that he could never imagine it being weak coming from her, but this time it was almost… pleading? "Ok?"

Lifting his supporting hand from the other side of her body, he touched his fingertips her to chin, holding it tenderly as he turned her head to face him. Their noses were almost touching with how close they were together, their faces lightly fanned by their breaths. "What are you not telling me, Rukia?" He wasn't so much of an idiot that he didn't realize that the doctor failed to hand him the vitals form. The doctor even went so far as to tell him that when he was able to go over the details of her lecture in his mind later. It was more than just exhaustion that was at work, causing Rukia to be prescribed being put under house-arrest for the weekend.

There was a small smile that worked itself onto her face in reaction to his never-ceasing worry. Leaning her forehead against his, she closed her eyes and whispered. "We'll talk about it when you get home and Yuzu is in her own room."

Ichigo wanted nothing more than to shake it out of her right that instant. But instead he nodded, lifted her face once more, and took her breath away with a deep, searing kiss. He felt Rukia hum against his lips as his tongue invaded her mouth, caressing hers into response. He needed her to feel everything that he wasn't saying, everything they never had to say to each other. He was worried, he'd take care of her, he loved her more than life itself, and she wouldn't be facing anything alone. It was only a few minutes later when he pulled away from the wet kiss, rubbing his thumb on her bottom lip to wipe a little of the excess moisture away.

"Eat dinner, rest, and I'll be back before you know it," he said in a low rasp as he was slowly coming out of the haze. He could see the same written clearly in her eyes behind the need for sleep. She merely nodded in response and leaned back into the pillows he had stacked for her.

The shinigami substitute met his sister on his way out as he shrugged his jacket back on. Yuzu was just removing the apron she donned for the quick meal preparation and quickly made her way over to her older brother's side.

"She's ready for dinner, Yuzu. Just make sure she doesn't leave the bed unless she absolutely has to." Half of Ichigo's mouth lifted into a small at the fervent nodding his sister was doing to his instructions. "I'll be back as quickly as possible. And don't tell the old man anything until Rukia and I have discussed it. I don't want her to be mad if he leaves the conference early unnecessarily. She worked really hard to get him there."

"Karin-chan said the same thing," the blonde smiled, heading back to the kitchen to lift the tray with a very simple meal. Vegetable onigiri, cucumber salad, miso soup, crackers, and the largest glass filled with water she could find – it was traditional Kurosaki 'sick food'. And it was only proper, considering it was meant to nurse the newest member of the Kurosaki family back into proper health.

"Ittekimasu." He smiled down at the youngest of his family.

"Itterasshai." She returned his smile, having taken up the duty he was leaving in her hands. **(1)**

With one more glance at his sister, they parted ways. She went upstairs, handling the heavy tray of food and drink like a professional as she took each step up towards Rukia. He went out of the front door and ran back to the train station like he was competing in a marathon.

* * *

><p>After shoving as many shirts, pants, sundresses, and pajamas into the medium-sized duffle bag as he could, Ichigo zipped it up and threw it into the hallway. Bending next to the bed, he concentrated on retrieving the phone charger plugged underneath the nightstand when his cell phone went off in his pocket. The sudden loud music and vibration cut through the tense silence, sending his orange-haired head into the slight overhang of the side table with an audible thud.<p>

"OW! Shit…," he couldn't help but hiss as he held his tender scalp, using his other hand to pull out the offensive device and holding it up to his ear.

"Is everything all right?" He asked, not even considering to himself it could be anyone other than Rukia or Yuzu with a status report or update.

"Oh, Kurosaki-san! That's what I was calling to ask you!" The response was a perky, male voice and certainly belonging to neither of the persons he had expected it to be. Pulling the phone from his ear long enough to actually check the caller ID before placing it back to his ear, he sighed irritably.

"Urahara-san? What do you want? I'm kind of busy right now." Ichigo, fed up, yanked the cord to the charger, forcibly pulling it out of the wall socket and stuffing it into the smaller of the two bags he was using to pack for their weekend at his family home.

"So rude, Kurosaki-san! It's been months since we've heard from you or your pretty wife and you snap at me when I call to see if everything's on the up and up? You're so cruel!" He could practically hear the fan flapping in mock agony. The over-dramatics from the man that was one of his mentors were already giving him a serious twitch above his left eye. But he did almost feel just a little bit guilty at ignoring everyone at the Shoten in lieu of work, classes, and the vital alone time with his shinigami wife. It wasn't just Urahara that had been left at the wayside. Yoruichi, Tessai, Jinta, Ururu, and even Kon were all there and hadn't laid eyes on him in the longest time. He couldn't even recall when it was last that Rukia had stumbled in for a quick hello, considering she was much more careful about maintaining pleasantries than he.

But it was only _almost_ guilty.

"Can it, Geta-boshi. I was serious when I said I was busy." He was in the process of hanging up on the former captain when the joking voice turned rather serious.

"I was concerned about Rukia-san. Her reiastu didn't feel quite right earlier today."

"Oh," Ichigo almost felt guilty, once again, for his discourtesy when he first answered. Almost. But now he was stuck. He knew that he and Rukia needed to discuss things before getting more people involved but he wasn't comfortable lying to the man that he was sure could already tell she wasn't at her fighting best from miles away. "Well, she's fine for now. That's why I can't talk right now. I'm packing some things to stay at the clinic this weekend."

And then, just as quickly as it came, the older man's humor was back. "How convenient, Kurosaki-san! Family is quite important, you know. It's so very important to surround yourself with your whole family during significant times like these. And the more the merrier, right?"

"Huh? What are you going on about now?" Holding the cell phone uncomfortably between his shoulder and ear, Ichigo silently cursed himself for completely forgetting to grab underwear and socks in the first bag. Only half of his mind was on the ranting and ravings of the lunatic on the other end of the line.

"Oh it's nothing, Kurosaki-san! Good luck!" And with that, the line clicked off, leaving Ichigo with the phone still stuck to his ear, his hand unceremoniously shoving underwear for both himself and Rukia into the smaller bag, and an expression that was halfway caught between infuriated and baffled.

Why the hell was everyone wishing him luck?

* * *

><p>The sun was setting, its last rays barely visible behind the buildings, by the time Ichigo was walking through the front door of the Kurosaki residence, two over-stuffed duffels in hand. He quietly stripped his coat, slid off his shoes, and threw the bags onto the couch before ascending the stairs quietly in socked feet. He had meant to return much quicker than he had, having run both to and from the train station and skipping the bus altogether. But the one thing he couldn't control was the train. He had to bite into his hand at the time to keep from threatening or cursing the employees to hurry up with changing the stinking headlight on the train so that he could get to his wife faster.<p>

Carefully turning the knob on the door to slide it open, he slipped in silently to his old bedroom. Nearing the bed, he noticed that Rukia was sleeping soundly. Torn between being relieved she was able to finally get sleep and anxious that he wouldn't be getting answers anytime soon, he stripped down to his t-shirt and boxers, throwing the clothes into a pile in the corner. Nearing the bed, he hesitated. Darkened amber eyes trailed down the sleeping face of the woman in his old bed. He could tell by the fact that she hadn't attempted to move the extra pillow propping her up that she had fought to stay awake for him. It was a battle he was ok with her losing. She needed the rest. But he could still feel a heavy stone of fear sitting in his gut.

Rukia was afraid.

He saw it in her softened eyes at the hospital, in the fact that she hadn't argued vehemently about him carrying her home, that she had willingly called the school to withdraw from classes for the semester until further notice. Something was wrong. And the savior of multiple dimensions of the world, one of the strongest super natural beings ever to exist thus far in time, was ready to go down to his knees and beg the fates to take back whatever had his warrior wife so afraid. Because if Rukia was afraid, then he would be terrified.

Swallowing what he could of those unsavory emotions, he slipped under the covers and pressed against his lover's back, kissing her crown and sweeping some of the smooth hair from her cheek to gaze down at her serene face. There was not a trace of the stress or nervousness from earlier in her face and he let out an uneasy breath. He could take some comfort in knowing that she had finally fully taken in deep sleep. Her lips were relaxed, her thin eyebrows were tranquil, and her breathing was slow and steady. The peace and innocence was almost palatable in the room as he snuggled closer to her, holding her tenderly and securely to himself.

He kissed her ear with a whisper of a touch and murmured sweetly, "Tell me when you're ready, Rukia. I'll wait."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> You have NO idea how many times I had to rework this chapter because I was just never satisfied. Ugh. But then suddenly, like lightning, the inspiration for this chapter hit me. Ichigo running around all of Karakura like the worried nut he is right now reminds me of the Benny Hill theme music. Look it up and giggle to yourself with the image that pops up in your mind.

Anywho! Another Bleach character makes a cameo in the next installment! Just who could it be? Any guesses? Any specific much-loved character you'd like to see included? Tell me! I may grant your wish!

(I wanted to post it ASAP and then leave the special guest for their own chapter. So I hope you enjoyed and you're ready for chapter seven because it's about 1/4th done already!)

**Footnote (1)** – This should sound familiar to anyone who watched the show in the original Japanese. When someone leaves home, they say 'ittekimasu' which is the equivalent of 'I'm going.' The proper response is 'itterasshai,' which roughly translates into 'go and come back.' But it's better to think of this phrase as wishing someone to go but return safely. These are said very commonly in the Japanese home and were a part of the episode story line with Orihime and her brother in the first arc. She felt guilty for never saying the response to him the day he left and she last saw him alive. If you don't like me including actual Japanese in the storyline then I'm sorry. But open your mind and learn something new! These characters are, in fact, Japanese and some things just don't translate right!


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7**_

* * *

><p>The only thing that gave away the fact that dawn had arrived were the few rays of sunlight that slipped between the blue curtains pulled over the window next to the bed. Rukia was still sleeping soundly under the sheets at his side, no alarm had gone off, no father was around to burst through the door, and Yuzu was likely in the clinic already. The Kurosaki residence was still in the quiet of the morning in this rare peaceful moment. His father would be home in a few days, Karin would be arriving by train closer to lunchtime, and then the worry over the family business and Rukia's health would mash together into a storm of anxiety.<p>

But right now, it was serene. It didn't matter how many years had gone by since the last grueling battle, the last moment of misery without his powers, or the last thought of loneliness after his dearest friend/love disappeared. Ichigo still believed that there were just never enough of these moments where nothing was happening and nothing was wrong.

Well, hopefully nothing wrong. Leaning down to kiss his wife's forehead, he pulled his arms away slowly to ease himself out of the bed. It was a rare sight indeed for Rukia to out-sleep him (these last few weeks notwithstanding), let alone not rouse when he got out of bed. He intended to let her have the whole day if she needed it. Given, of course, that she would still be talking to him later about the whole emergency room fiasco.

There were very few times in his life that he felt _that_ scared over someone and he found himself realizing it was almost always about _her_. Shaking his head clear of those upsetting memories, he instead slipped quickly into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, not even bothering with socks yet as he left the room to wash up for the day. He had already decided to himself without Rukia's say in the matter that if he had to, he would be calling Inoue from her home outside of Sendai to come heal her. He couldn't imagine (and did not want to fathom) any illness or condition in which her flower spirits couldn't reverse for the shinigami currently sleeping in his bed.

The only downside was that, well, the last time Inoue was here it didn't go so well. In fact, the last time the entire group of hodge-podge friends were together was less than a savory experience. Not having every one of his friends as witnesses to their wedding was harsh reality that the only constant thing with time was that everything changes. It wasn't hate that separated them, it was the inability to bridge gaps where there were emotional misunderstandings. And it had made him short-tempered and his partner heart-broken.

Chad was the only one he kept in contact with on a consistent basis. Ishida he would see from time to time now that he's returned from Tokyo, usually at the university or the hospital where he was posed to take over as CEO and administrator for not only the town's general hospital but for many of the clinics spreading outside the town closer to Tokyo. But Inoue, he hadn't really spoken to her in years. The only reason he even knew where she had settled was through Tatsuki (that is, after they both came to a truce on difficult topics as well) and the wonders that were the internet.

Despite the promising level of drama that it could create, he'd be willing to do it if that's what Rukia needed.

"Onii-chan?" Yuzu's sweet voice caught his attention as she hung up their kitchen phone.

"Morning, Yuzu," he said sheepishly, wondering how he got all the way downstairs to the kitchen without remembering how or noticing her presence in the room.

"Are you and Rukia-chan ready for breakfast?"

"Well, she's still sleeping right now. I'll take something up to her when she's ready." Ichigo plopped himself down in one of the chairs and gratefully sipped at the tea his sister had already prepared for him. "Thanks," he lifted the cup in her direction with a tired smile. His little sister merely nodded and smiled as she removed her apron, the meal she prepared had already been completed and would be waiting for them on the counter, daintily covered with plastic wrap.

"Dad just called…" Yuzu nervously started, seating herself across from her brother. He lifted his eyebrow above the tea cup to signal her to continue. "He… uh… he said that the conference didn't go so well. He said he'll be home early, maybe tomorrow night but Sunday at the latest."

Ichigo watched his sister sigh down into her own tea as she traced the rim of the cup she hadn't moved yet. Putting his own down on the table he softly inquired, "Did he say what he meant by 'didn't go well'?"

Shrugging, Yuzu continued inspecting her tea with unseeing eyes. "He didn't give details. But I get the feeling that it's bad news for the clinic. At best it could mean there are stipulations to continuing the grants or maybe a small reduction. At worst… well…"

Her older brother nodded, understanding what the worst could mean to their business and the family in general. "We'll talk about it when he gets home then. When does Karin get in?"

"In a few hours. I heard from her about an hour ago that one of her teammates was going to take her to the train station around noon." At the change in conversation, especially to her twin, Yuzu's face perked up a bit. Taking a quick sip of her tea, she bounded out of the chair. "Which reminds me! If Karin-chan and Dad are coming in soon, we'll need more groceries! There are a lot of extra mouths in the house again!"

Ichigo knew Yuzu was doing her best to seem stressed about having so many people in the house but he smiled knowingly as he turned around in his chair to watch his sister. At least it would be something to distract her from the business troubles. She practically pranced over to the closet to tug on her coat and tell him over her shoulder to feed Rukia when she woke up. Once sufficiently promised, he waited for her to exit before finishing the rest of his tea. Leaving his cup in the sink, he grabbed the two carefully wrapped plates and headed back upstairs.

When he carefully opened his old bedroom door, one of the plates balanced on his forearm, he didn't expect to see Rukia sitting up in bed. Her hair was a tangled mess and she still looked a little sleepy but she was gorgeous. Seeing her sitting in his childhood bed and glancing out of the window with the sun on her face, he felt his nerves relax. He didn't even feel the urge to pick on her as he normally would have at this point.

"I have breakfast," he interrupted her thoughts by placing the plates on the desk near the bed and went to sit on the bed, facing her. He was rewarded for his efforts with a sweet smile, causing one of his own to spread across his face.

"Then I'll keep you around a bit longer." She responded with a small glint of her usual humor before dropping her eyes to the bed. He looked down at her fidgeting hands in her lap to see a small folded piece of paper. The corners were beginning to curl and the folds beginning to tear from what looked like constant handling. "Yuzu just left?"

Ichigo nodded and then looked back up at her face, searching it as if he could find the cause of her anxiety written there. "She's going to the grocery store. Karin will be here around lunch time and Dad may come back this weekend too." At her head snapping up, he added, "No one told him anything. It's about the clinic."

"Oh," she sighed and glanced again out of the window. He wondered if she was thinking about the clinic, if she was thinking about how little time together they were about to have with two more family members arriving soon, if she was worried about him missing classes and work today, if she was worried about missing more school herself. But he waited. It was incredibly difficult to do but he kept his mouth shut as he reached out to run his hands through her dark tresses, loosening some of the tangles.

"Ichigo," she whispered, catching him off guard. He barely had pulled his hand out of her hair when she grabbed it, placing the piece of paper in his hand tightly but not allowing him to pull it to himself. "I… I need to tell you… But I don't know how."

Scooting closer to her face and pushing himself further on the bed for support, he took the hand not currently in her own to place under her chin. He lifted her eyes from their joined hands and that piece of paper to his own; he could feel his heart racing in his chest as their eyes locked. He recognized that look in her eyes: fear. He wasn't sure if he was ready for the news or if he would want to hear it at all. But his resolve was solidified with the thought that right then, at that very moment, Rukia was alone. She was shouldering the knowledge all by herself. He would never allow her to deal with anything alone, just as she wouldn't allow him to do the same. He would bear it with her.

"I'm here," he whispered back. Her eyes softened at that. He let out a breath at seeing her relax, witnessing her faith in him. He was ready.

"Ichigo…"

Nope. He wasn't sure if he was ready anymore. That was a facial expression he didn't quite recognize on her face. It wasn't one of her usual ones. Incredibly rare, in fact. It was a kind of hopeful shyness, almost like they were getting married again. But this time he had walked in late and missed the ceremony leading up to the kiss because while she was looking so unusually demure and nervous, he was just plain confused and scared.

He squeezed her hand a bit tighter and she reached up for his other one. Removing it from her face, they sat eye-to-eye, clenching each other's hands in silent determination. He got more and more tense, past 'nervous' and well into 'edgy', with every second it took her to find the words. She wasn't one to be without courage or the words to come out and say something. Now his mind was in a whirlwind of terrible 'what-if's while he watched her swallow, avert her eyes down to the piece of paper, and then back up to his.

"Ichigo…" She started once more and then let out a determined huff, sitting up straighter. She straightened out her face as much as she could muster before licking her lips. She appeared much more like the old Rukia he knew and he knew _that_ look. It was determination. And he held his breath.

"Ichigo, I'm…"

* * *

><p>Rukia had felt somewhat placated at the caring smile on her doctor's face and the gentle reassurance of her hand but her eyes were still locked onto the older woman's and her ears acutely tuned in. Her body, temperament, sleep pattern, and appetite having been out of sorts for two weeks, her partner had been fretting over her almost non-stop, and her embarrassing episode at the clinic all coalesced together into a ball of tangled nerves in her stomach. It was all she could handle not to stand up in the gurney and demand to know what in the hell was going on. That is, until the doctor continued.<p>

"Kurosaki-san, there's nothing to worry about." She patted her hand with patience before releasing her to sort through the paperwork on her clip board. "You just passed out due to dehydration and exhaustion. The baby's fine. I do prescribe a lot of rest and less work though. I am worried about your blood pressure and you are obviously pushing yourself too hard-,"

Rukia's eyes widened considerably and her now empty hands gripped the white sheet on top of her body with force. She had been frozen to the spot and could only manage out a weak, pleading "sensei" in trying to slow down the woman at her side.

"And according to your records here, you've actually been losing weight, dear. That's not how you should be preparing your body." The doctor scribbled something down on one of the sheets before removing it from the bottom of the stack and placing it on the top.

"S-Sensei! I-!" Rukia's shoulders were nearly shaking and her knuckles white against the stress of gripping the sheet with such force.

"There are tricks to keeping food down during sickness in the first trimester-," the woman tried to continue before being abruptly cut off, her own dark brown eyes a bit taken aback.

"WAIT!" The shaken young woman visibly panted. "Sensei, please… That is… Am I…" Shaking her head to get her thoughts together, knowing it was not within her training to be so scatter-brained. Rukia placed a nervous hand to her chest and looked up into the concerned eyes of her doctor. "Are you saying I'm _pregnant_?" She stressed the last word in a fierce whisper.

"Oh Kurosaki-san, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to ruin the fun of finding out on your own. I thought you'd know already considering you're between six to eight weeks along." Her doctor seemed honestly regretful as she placed her stack of documents to the side table to grab her patient's hands once more.

"B-but sensei! I'm not pregnant!" The shinigami shook her head vehemently, as if she could convince the doctor of her mistaken diagnosis.

"Pardon?"

"I did a home test… A week ago… It was negative."

"Well, false negatives are not common if all instructions are followed for the home kits but they do happen. Honestly, Kurosaki-san, it could have been any number of things to make it come out false. But I promise our blood tests are accurate." Releasing one of Rukia's hands, Yamashita grabbed one of the top sheets of paperwork on the clipboard and handed it over to her, specifically pointing out the 'positive' around the center of the document.

"But… I… I really…" Swallowing, wide indigo looked down at the sheet in her hand and searched the words. She let out a shaky, unsure sigh and whispered, almost as if in a trance. "… Six to eight weeks along?"

"Mm." The woman replied with a loving pat on the top of the other hand, helping to release the tension built up in the muscles from gripping so hard. "Due around November first is what I can estimate from your blood reading at this time. We'll know for sure when you come back for a quick check-up."

"A… a baby… The baby's ok…" Just staring at the paper, a check mark where it asks if the blood test results positive for pregnancy, Rukia tried to wrap her mind around what she was hearing. Thinking she had been pregnant when all of this started and knowing she was now… they were two very different feelings. She wanted to laugh, to cry, to yell, to smile, but couldn't make up her mind. And then there was the unsettling, wonderful, frightening thought that right now, at that very second, a little being was growing inside of her. She was sheltering another tiny person. A death god was at that very moment creating life. A little soul that would be half of her and half of Ichigo. A baby. Their own little baby.

"Kurosaki-san."

Snapping out of her reverie, the startled young woman looked up from the paper into the amused but stern eyes of her doctor. "You need to eat, keep food down, sleep more, and not overwork your body. Understood?"

"Hai, sensei…" An unsteady whisper somehow made its way out of her mouth.

"And I'll leave the big news for you to share. I'll let you hold onto that piece of paper when your family arrives." Yamashita looked like she couldn't smile any more than she already was as she stood from her miniature rolling chair, refilled her patient's glass of water from the cooler in the corner, and placed it back at her bedside.

"Thank you…" Rukia whispered once more, still in somewhat of a daze.

All of the physical and emotional stress that had weighed on her up to that point had left her feeling strangely unprepared for the news. And now she was left to digest it. Wasn't this something they had both wanted for the future? But with Ichigo needing to concentrate on his last year of study, Rukia still trying to catch up in her own schooling, and the Kurosaki clinic struggling as it was, it hardly seemed the best timing for it. They had both even been trying to hold off on the possibility too. Despite being on birth control, which was first just the catalyst to kick-start her mortal feminine cycle, they would still occasion used different 'methods' to avoid any unplanned events. Still, sometimes they forgot or didn't care. But still, it was a risk they were both prepared and ready to handle. So wasn't she supposed to be happy? Was it ok to let herself be happy? Urahara surely would be proud of himself. And Isshin's reaction was impossible not to guess. And the same pretty much went for her two sisters-in-law. But… what would Ichigo think?

* * *

><p>"Ichigo, I'm… pregnant." And then she held her breath.<p>

To say that wasn't what he expected to hear would have been the understatement of the century. He was so caught off guard, so incredibly shocked, that he sat stock still staring into her wide eyes. He didn't even dare to breathe as he slowly let those words sink in.

Pregnant.

She wasn't hurt, ill, or injured. She wasn't wounded, in pain, or dying.

Pregnant. Rukia was pregnant.

_Pregnant?!_

His mind was running through a gamut of emotions, unable to land fully on a particular one. Relief. Surprise. Fear. Nervousness. Thrill. Elation. Shock. Terror. Before Ichigo's brain could fully process that word and all of its implications, Rukia's face started to twist into escalating worry from his silence. Her eyes dipped down to the paper in their joined hands as she unfolded it with unsteady, shaking fingers and then pushed it back into his larger ones. His eyes almost immediately located the 'positive' in the middle of the page.

He blinked once. Twice. Then it clicked. And the widest, goofiest, and happiest grin began to take over the normally scowling face as he stared at that check mark.

"Ichigo?" his wife asked with genuine anxiousness. Before the next words could even form in her mind though, his mouth covered hers in a searing kiss. Both of his hands dropped the paper onto her lap and he leaned her head back gently onto the pillow and made love to her lips and tongue. A shudder went through her body as she tried to cry and laugh at the same time through his kiss.

After thoroughly devouring her fear, he placed another sweet lingering kiss to her swollen lips, his eyes shining bright as he waited for her to reopen hers. Locking onto her indigo gems, he whispered against her mouth words they rarely needed to say aloud.

"I love you, Rukia. And I already love our baby." Ichigo began to laugh with abandon as he then leaned back enough to place a hand over her deceivingly flat stomach. "Our baby! Rukia! We're having a baby!"

She grinned from ear to ear as tears ran down her cheeks. She had no idea how scared she had been to tell him until that point and all of her pent up emotion just bubbled forth in a confusing mix of laughter and sobs. Wiping her eyes with one hand as she placed the other over his that gently held her abdomen, she whispered, "I was afraid that you… of telling… I was so worried."

"What? No!" Placing a few fierce kisses back on her face, he laughed with his whole face lit up. "No, Rukia! Don't be an idiot. I am more excited than I ever thought possible! I can't wait to tell everyone! – Oh we'll have to find a bigger place! We don't have any room! – Maybe we should look at homes near the best academies! – And I'll start a special fund for school!"

Finally done with the uncontrollable crying, which she was more than thankful for, Rukia outright laughed at him. "Fool, aren't you getting ahead of yourself?"

Ichigo couldn't hold back the grin if he tried. "Maybe." Placing his fingers back into her hair and the other tenderly holding her hand, he leaned his forehead against hers and caught his breath. He took a moment to calm his racing heart and enjoy the lingering tingle of adrenaline. He took in the smell of the small shinigami woman in his arms, lying in his bed, marked with his name, carrying his child, and couldn't help the proud but humble thrum of happiness in his chest.

The little sniffle from his partner lightly pulled him back into the present and reminded him of how shaken she had been to tell him. A small crease of worry made its way in between his eyes as he leaned back to look at her pale face. That's when he remembered that she had still passed out yesterday. She had still been taken to the emergency room. And she still looked scared.

"Rukia." He started, waiting for her to raise her eyes to his before continuing. "Did the doctor… Is everything all right? With, you know…"

She paused before nodding. "She said the baby's fine." And he could see the corners of her mouth turn up at saying it out loud. "But that I need to take better care of myself for a while. And go back to have my nutrient levels and blood pressure checked. But otherwise, fine."

"Thank god," he whispered into her hair, pulling her bodily against him as he hugged her as tight as he'd allow himself. "Guess you know what that means then, right?"

"Mm?" she mumbled against his shirt.

"I get to pamper and coddle you all I want and you have to shut up and deal with it." Grinning once more as if he were fifteen again, he pulled back to narrow his eyes playfully at her. "Doctor's orders."

She couldn't hold back the snort and the slight roll of her eyes. "As long as you know I don't plan on being the docile patient for long. Though, I am enjoying the extra sleep."

"Fighting with you is something I'm good at," he stated with half a shrug. Giving her another kiss to her lips, he leaned his body over to the desk to retrieve a plate of food. "First things first though. You need to eat." And once again, Ichigo grinned like a fool. She had a feeling that he'd be doing more of that now. "The baby's probably starving with how tiny you are."

Ichigo laughed right out at the weak punch to his upper arm with unbridled joy.

* * *

><p>After a hearty meal and a quick but passionate love session, everything felt more right with the shinigami pair than it had in months. Thankfully it was during their reveling in the afterglow that they heard the front door open and more than one voice carrying through the walls of the house. Neither were able to place who was with Yuzu but it was their cue to right themselves. As Rukia left to take a quick shower, Ichigo had to settle for slipping back into his clothes and attempting to conceal just how disheveled his hair and clothes had become.<p>

Tugging down a hoody over his head, his jeans already pulled up and fastened, he struggled with his hair once more as he reached the bottom of the landing of the stairs. And then all attempts at putting his appearance back together came to abrupt halt as he met dark grey eyes that narrowed in on his own.

"Byakuya?!" He would have been surprised anyway at seeing that particular person walk into his home, with his little sister nonetheless, but having just made love to Rukia _and_ hearing the amazing news of her condition he was not prepared at all to come face-to-face with her brother.

"You are still without proper etiquette, Kurosaki Ichigo." The man, donned in a well-dressed gigai supplied by no other than Urahara himself, stated with a mix of disdain and sarcasm. "I have come for Rukia."

Before the look of shocked confusion, or confused shock, could register into angry words from her older brother, Yuzu stepped closer with grocery bags still in hand. "Eto… That is, Onii-chan, that he was worried about her. I saw him as I was leaving the grocery store and he helped me bring bags home. I told him Rukia-chan was staying here for a while to, you know, visit."

So she didn't tell him about her stint in the emergency room. That was one of the smartest moves by his little sister. She had been thoroughly impressing him these past two days. With his own secret smile, he figured eventually sharing the happy news with her would make up for everything. But considering Rukia and he hadn't yet discussed it yet, he wouldn't be sharing the secret just yet.

"Rukia's in the shower now." He said in a way that translated into 'you can't have her' and they both knew it. "But I guess make yourself at home," Ichigo shrugged, taking a few bags from his sister to help unpack everything. He pointedly turned from the man, knowing he'd follow to the kitchen after removing his shoes and coat to also drop off the groceries he carried. Even after years, he still felt a small amount of sadistic satisfaction for getting under the skin of his brother-in-law, though they did get along much better than they used to. "But I'm curious, to what do we owe this visit? Especially since you're here in a gigai and all."

For her part, Yuzu was silent as she unpacked the food. She and Karin had been told pretty much everything about the 'other world' that their brother's wife had come from. The conversation only concerned her if the two men were going to be picking a fight in her kitchen, especially with Rukia still recovering. But in her own opinion, she appreciated it when the less-than-living visitors arrived in corporeal form. Her ability to see spirits was not as keen as Karin's and had yet to set eye on a shinigami with her own eyes yet.

"Just what I first stated. I am here to check on the condition of my little sister and to bring her home if necessary." He revealed no further details as he completed the simple task of setting the bags on the counter and then stepping aside to be out of the young woman's way.

"Like _hell_ you're taking her away! This _IS_ her home!" From zero to 9.5 on the angry scale, Ichigo bared his teeth at the stoic captain. He'd reach a full 10 if anyone actually attempted to take her anywhere.

"Nii-sama?" the subject of the conversation near-whispered as she entered the kitchen. Her hair was damp and rested across her shoulders and back, wetting the fabric of her clothes but she was otherwise put together immaculately in a knee-length, long-sleeved white and lace dress. The extra sleep and the weight of stress lifted from her shoulders did wonders for how much healthier she looked. A small, nervous smile lifted her lips as she bowed lightly and stepped closer. Confusion came back to her face as she inquired rather sweetly to her older brother, "Is there something the matter?"

"I had not received a report of your well-being in some time." He started, circumventing any direct phrase to say he had been worried about her. "I first thought to check the status your human emergency savings account. Subsequently, your funds have been restored," he added as a side note in a softer tone to Rukia, completely ignoring Ichigo's outburst concerning invasion of privacy. The noble man's little sister blushed at bit at that, worry and embarrassment crossing her features. It was no secret that she yearned for her older brother's approval and she figured that he may have assumed that she was terrible with her finances with how little was left in the account. Mere change was a big difference from the small fortune that account had started with.

Before she could thank him or reassure him of her worthy spending from his generously funded account, he continued his address in his usual commanding voice. "I then enlisted Urahara Kisuke to provide me a report of your reiatsu. He informed me of your stay in the hospital but was unable to supply the cause or diagnosis. You are to accompany me to the Kuchiki estate so that your health may be examined by the family physicians."

That had caught her off guard. She forgot how nosey, and yet all-knowing, that shop keeper was. Her secret would not stay secret long. Her eyes widened at her brother's command and she bit her lip as she bowed her head down. "I… I can't, Nii-sama."

And her husband would be ignored no longer. It brought back too much anger, fear, and desperation to have the sixth division captain demand her return to Soul Society once more. "She _isn't_ _going_ to Soul Society! She already saw a doctor!" Ichigo was becoming increasingly angry and attempted to step into the personal space of the older man when his little sister stepped between them.

"How about you say for dinner, Kuchiki-san? We would love to have you over since we so rarely get to see anyone from Rukia-nee-chan's family." She asked with such careful sweetness that even Byakuya could only close his mouth and nod with a small word of thanks. Rukia sighed in relief as she knew a fight was just averted but her husband was still bristling as he stepped to put a possessive hand around her waist.

"Good!" the light-haired woman grinned and bounced. "Karin-chan should arrive soon and Daddy will be arriving this weekend as well but probably not in time for dinner tonight. In the meantime, I'll make some tea for everyone!"

Again, Ichigo was impressed with how swiftly she took control of the situation. Rukia couldn't help but mimic the warm smile at the friendlier change in the air as well as her brother being welcomed into the family. The last time he spent any real amount of time with the Kurosakis was their wedding. He avoided (mortal) family gatherings and especially using a gigai. At first, Rukia thought it was the captain's general distrust of Urahara or his displeasure at his someone from his household becoming part of the world of living outside the natural order of things. Now she changed her mind a bit and believed it had a lot more to do with him feeling out of place among them rather than simply being a cold noble like the shinigami substitute insisted.

Glancing over to her brother, she couldn't help but smile a little bit more. She couldn't help but think that this weekend, once Ichigo's father returned, might be a perfect time to share the news with everyone. That is, if she could convince her brother to stay overnight. And of course, Renji would be upset that he missed out on it but it'd be near impossible to get him here on such short notice. Plus the sixth division would be left with no leadership. He'd get over it.

Renji and her Nii-sama were the only 'family' of hers that she felt she'd really want to go out of her way to include though. And then, of course, there was the rest of the team from Ichigo's high school… But things were tense with most of them still, Chad excluded. He was ever patient and understanding with both of them and she was looking forward to telling him especially. But thinking of the rest of the friends from Karakura High, Rukia decided that now would be the time and a good reason to consider getting everyone together and patching things up.

It was just too bad that she didn't get to have more time keeping the news just between her and Ichigo to really come to terms with it because now she was getting nervous.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong> BWHAHAHA! I hope that was worth it for most of you. I was downright giddy writing it! For any other reviewers who are disappointed and feel my plot was easily predictable/over-used, then I'd like to see a story out there that's doing what I'm doing. Anyway, this is fanservice with a little drama mixed in. It's FANfiction for a reason. Besides, the fun is just beginning!

I was majorly impressed, by the way, with how many saw Byakuya coming! And I will definitely take into consideration any polite requests for other cameos (that I don't already have planned, of course).

*****I specifically have him saying 'younger sister' rather than just 'sister' as we would in English because, well, they don't in Japanese. There is not a word for merely 'sister' without defining whether she is older or younger and the same goes for 'brother'. So it may sound strange to us but instead read it as if there is an English single word for 'younger sister' and it makes much more sense. I'm trying to be kind to those readers not familiar with Japanese.


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